Author Rebecca Barton during her Naples High School graduation
My high school experience was different than most. While many teenagers take AP and some dual enrollment classes to potentially earn college credit while in high school, I had the opportunity to take this to another level. My junior and senior years, I was exclusively attending classes at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) through the Accelerated Collegiate Experience. While this program definitely isn’t for everyone, it was exactly what I needed at the time. But that’s not to say it was completely without its drawbacks.
The Pros
Exploration of interests (extracurricular and classes). While I was a traditional student in many ways, my educational interests were not. I was fascinated with areas of history and English that are not possible to teach at a high school where students with similar interests are few and far between. For example, a creative writing class at my high school had to be cancelled because only a few students had signed up, but classes at FGCU in even more niche subjects were filled to capacity. At FGCU, I was able to take courses such as literature with a focus on fairy tale and folklore, a Medieval European history, an interdisciplinary approach to the Crusades, and Stellar Astronomy. While I did still take traditional classes like Economics, Calculus, and Government, I was able to cater my educational experience to my interests and gain a better understanding of what I should be doing after I graduated.
Clubs at college and high school. While doing dual enrollment, I had the best of both worlds. I served as secretary of my Mu Alpha Theta math team in high school and I was also able to participate in the Theater Club at FGCU, where I was able to pursue my passion for theater at the collegiate level.
Easier transition. Change isn’t the easiest thing for me. The thought of leaving home and everything I knew at the end of senior year was daunting. However, participating in this program made me much more confident, as I proved I could succeed at a university and learned how college worked while still having my support network at home.
Up to two years of free tuition. At FGCU, my tuition, text books and materials, and student health services were all free. But only students enrolled at public high schools receive the benefit of free books – private, charter, and home school students do not.
The Cons
Missed my friends. Because I did full-time dual enrollment, I was not at high school, and some of my classes were at very odd hours. This, naturally, made it difficult to see my friends who were still on the traditional schedule of school, extracurriculars, and homework. However, I did have the opportunity to make many new friends at college, and my best friends and I made plans to ensure we didn’t drift apart. I could also come to high school lunches to visit, which I did when my schedule permitted.
Drive to school. Instead of taking 15 minutes with traffic to get to school on time, I was now driving an average of 45 minutes to get to class.
Dual Enrollment Requirements
For FGCU:
• Applications open in January and the deadline is March 31st. Admission decision notifications will be sent in May.
• Must have completed 4 semesters of high school.
• Attend an ACE information session.
• Completed application and required documents.
• Qualifying ACT or SAT test scores (ACT 23+/ SAT 1140+)
• High school transcript with minimum 3.7 weighted/3.0 unweighted GPA
• Recommendation from high school counselor
• Permission from parent
For Florida SouthWestern College (year-round enrollment):
• Be a high school sophomore or above
• Completed application
• Recommendation from high school counselor
• Qualifying College Placement exam (PERT), ACT or SAT scores
• High school transcript with minimum 3.5 (sophomores) or 3.0 (juniors and seniors) unweighted
For more information, applications, and important dates, go to https://www.fgcu.edu/admissionsandaid/ace/ for FGCU and https://www.fsw.edu/admissions/dual, and contact your student’s guidance counselor.