BY KYRA BACON
College Academy is catching many sophomores’ eyes as an alternative to junior year at Cooper City High School by offering them freedom and a college degree.
College Academy is a unique school where students are enrolled full-time at Broward College and take classes with other CA students as well as with BC students. CA students receive high school credit as well as college credit, which means that by graduation, students will have a high school diploma and an associates degree.
“The program isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s a great experience, and you always have the option of switching back to your old school if you really don’t like it, so I would recommend it,” CA junior Sita Bhatt said.
The application deadline was February25th, but many students turned in their applications on the first few days to ensure acceptance due to CA’s “first come, first serve” policy.
“I think I will get accepted, as long as my teacher gave me a good recommendation,” CA applicant and sophomore at CCHS Melissa Castellanos said. “If I get in, I’m definitely going.”
Only 350 students are accepted each year, and the applicants will find out on April 15th if they are one of those lucky few.
“Once I saw the letter I realized that it was a big decision, but the best thing for me and my future would be to go,” Bhatt said.
CA has many reasons for being extraordinary. For one, there is no cost for students, guaranteeing that the first two of years of college are free for students that attend. Besides saving money, CA has other benefits, including aspects of the normal high school experience as well as an introduction to college experiences. Students have more freedom at CA; they are allowed to go off campus at any time that they are not scheduled for a class. They may choose classes that are later in the afternoon or shorter on Fridays, depending on the student’s desire. While students can ride the bus for classes starting before 8:00am, any class time after that requires student transportation.
“The only times you are under control is during class,” Bhatt said. “Other than that you are allowed to do whatever, whether that be leaving BC and grabbing some Moes before history class or taking a nap in the library.”
CA also has many extracurricular activities, such as band, newspaper, and other clubs; however, the school does not offer sports. The faculty and staff at CA are also extremely helpful to the CA students.
“There is a ton of support from the teachers and faculty,” Bhatt said. “They emphasize an open door policy and you can walk in and talk to the brace adviser, principal, guidance counselor, and teachers whenever. They all care about your future and they want to help you.”
Besides the complete freedom, CA is top-notch in academics. In 2011 CA scores on the PSAT, ACT and SAT were higher than the county, the state, and even the nation. The Bright Future Scholarship is also popular at CA, as well as a lot of other scholarship opportunities, qualifying about 99% of CA students.
“I think CA would benefit me a lot,” Castellanos said. “With the CA degree, I could start college early and get out early.”
CA applicants wrote a 500 word essay on why they wanted to attend CA, compiled teacher recommendations, and sent their high school transcripts. Applicants were also required to send in PERT scores after taking the test in March. Also, requirements of a 3.25 un-weighted GPA, a passing score on FCAT and EOC tests, a total of 11 credits and the passing of World History, HOPE, Algebra I and II, and Geometry courses were all apart of the student’s application.
“I felt really lucky when I got in,” Bhatt said. “There were a bunch of people I knew who were really great students, but didn’t get in.”
After CA, many students transfer their college credits to universities. Various top schools that previous CA graduates attended include: Brown, Cornell, Duke, Georgia Tech, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton and the U.S. Military Academy, as well as several other schools. College Academy served as a way to get ahead and appeal to colleges in ways that normal high school couldn’t and many students decided to take advantage of this opportunity.
