Frequently Asked Questions

  • How am I able to get both my high school diploma and associate degree in only 4 years?

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    Students are able to squeeze 6 years of schooling into 4 years because college classes are dual enrollment classes.  This means that the college classes also count for high school credit.  Instead of taking traditional high school elective courses like band, art, business or others, students take college classes.  These college classes are the core academic classes of the first 2 years of college.  When students take the college Health/PE, Spanish, English, and World Civilizations classes, they actually count for the high school Health/PE, foreign language, English IV, and World History graduation requirements.  All other college classes count as high school elective credit.
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  • Do I have to take Math I over again if I took it in the 8th grade?

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    Not Necessarily.At the Early College, students move very quickly through high school math.  They complete Math I, II, III and Pre-Calculus in the 9th and 10th grade years.  They begin taking college math during their junior year.  Therefore, it is important that everyone has a firm understanding of the concepts in Math I before continuing. However, if you have taken Math I and/or Math II and through demonstrated mastery on the teacher-made assessment ( upon entering the early college program in August) in addition to other data that support mastery of Math I and/or Math II content, you will be able to select another course or advance your math placement at this time.
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  • When do I start taking college classes?

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    Students begin taking college classes during their their 9th grade year.  During that year, they will take 1 college class each semester.
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  • Am I automatically eligible for all college classes?

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    The college classes that 9th graders take have no prerequisites or placement test requirements.  Starting in 10th grade, students must pass the Accuplacer tests in Reading, Writing, and Math to qualify for college classes.  Students not qualifying will be required to take remedial English and/or Math courses.
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  • When do I choose which associate degree I want to work towards?

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    Students do not have to choose between the associate in arts and the associate in science until their 10th grade year. 

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  • Can I take summer classes?

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    Students wishing to take courses during the summer may be required to pay additional costs including tuition, fees, and books. However, there are times when we have college textbooks available and are able to waive any additional textbook costs.
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  • Are there any Advanced Placement (AP) classes offered at the Early College?

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    We don't have to offer AP courses as the Early College RCCC courses carry the same academic weight and transfer to 4 year colleges and universities just as AP courses transfer. However, for the high school American History course that students take in 10th grade, we do allow students to sit for the AP US History Exam for  AP credit.
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  • What is the difference in AP classes and college classes?

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    Class Length
    High School AP -
    AP English and AP History (Semester)
    AP Math and AP Science (Full Year)
     
    Early College -
     All classes are semester length
     
    College Credit Criteria
    High School AP -
    Must pass the high school AP course and make a 3 or better on the AP Exam
     
    Early College -
     Must pass the college course with a C or better
     
    Credit Earned
    High School AP -
    1 High school credit
    3 or 4 credit hours for college
     
    Early College -
    1 High school credit
    3 or 4 credit hours for college

     

    High School GPA Weight  
    High School AP, IB, and College Courses all carry the weight of an additional 1pt.
     Ex.  96 in the class = 5.0
     

    College GPA

    High School AP -
    While college credit can be earned for the course, the course will not count towards college GPA.
     
    Early College -
    Each college course taken at the Early College directly counts towards college GPA.
     
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  • Will it hurt my chances to get into college by not having AP courses?

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    No.  When making admissions decisions, colleges look at the schools profile to see what the potential for a student could be.  Potential is based on how many of the hardest classes offered by a school did a student take.  For traditional high schools, it is how many of the AP courses the school offered did the student take.  For Early Colleges, it is how many of the college classes offered did the student take.
     
    Ex.
    High School AP -
    		 Student takes 5 out of 8 AP courses
     
    Early College -
    		 Student takes 19 out of 21 college courses
     
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  • Do I have to complete an associates degree to graduate from high school?

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    No.  A student can graduate the Early College High School with just their high school diploma.  The college credits a student earned during high school are transferable to other state institutions; however, the student would need to complete the college Core 44 requirements to have all of the credits eligible for transfer.
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  • What is the benefit of staying for a super senior year?

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    Students electing to continue at the Early College for a super senior year will postpone graduation until the end of the 5th year.  This allows for the student to finish the associate degree free of charge.  Students who do not complete the associate degree, graduate at the end of the 4th year, and then want to finish the degree at RCCC will be responsible for all of the remaining costs.
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  • Can anyone stay for a super senior year?

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    Yes.  Any student may elect to stay for a super senior year in order to finish the associate degree.
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  • If I stay for a Super Senior Year, will I graduate with the students I started Early College with?

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    No.  Super seniors will not participate in graduation ceremonies at the end of their 4th year.  Instead, they will participate in graduation at the end of their 5th year.
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  • Who will accept my college credits?

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    All of the schools in the University of North Carolina System will accept credits earned at RCCC as long as the student has completed the Core 44 general education requirements.  Students earning less than the Core 44 will have to see which credits are accepted.  Students wanting to attend private or out of state institutions will need to check with those institutions to see what credits will transfer from a NC community college.
     
    This does not mean that you can't explore outside of NC. MANY out of state schools LOVE to see that you challenged yourself by completing high school through an Early College. Call their admissions office and they will tell you exactly what they are looking for and how they recruit early college students.
     
    The link to Transfer Navigator on CFNC’s website is extremely helpful.  After you create a login with CFNC, you can search for the courses you have taken at RCCC and select the school you are transferring to. 
     
     
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Last Modified on September 23, 2019