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Early College Programs

Admission & Aid

Earn college credits this fall.

Two Free BCC Summer Courses for High School Students!

Due to changes in activities during the spring semester, BCC’s dual enrollment grant is able to fund some summer programming. High school students can take up to two free courses during Session I and/or Session II of the 2022 summer term. 

  • Student eligibility requirements: 
    • Massachusetts resident
    • Current high school student (2021-2022 school year)
    • Meets course pre-requisites (High School GPA of 2.7* or higher for most courses, or Accuplacer placement**)
    • If taking an online course; student must be disciplined, have a reliable computer and reliable internet access
    • If taking in-person courses, reliable transportation is a must
    • Dedication to complete to a full college-level course offered in a 6 or 8-week period (same content as a 15-week course, at accelerated pace.)
    • Completed Early College Registration form – both pages, and email to guidance from their official high school email address.  The email entered on the Registration form must be an email from which they can receive external emails (Please note that some school districts have restrictions on students’ high school email, which may prevent important notices from being received in a timely fashion.)
  • TO REGISTER: 
    • Student completes Early College Registration form – this form is now available as a fillable PDF. In lieu of a traditional signature, students may simply type in their names. 
    • The student sends form to their Guidance counselor using their high school email (this will serve as an additional ‘official’ signature).
    • Guidance counselor completes their portion and sends from their school-district provided email (serves as ‘official’ signature) to earlycollege@berkshirecc.edu.
    • Student must be receiving high school credit for the course (This is a requirement of the grant.)

    Summer registration can begin on April 11.

  • After student is registered

    Students will need to check their email addresses (as provided on the EC registration form) regularly. We will be emailing them important information about their classes. Hard copies of these notices will no longer be mailed.

    Please note that due to the wording of the grant, funding not all Summer Session I and II courses are eligible. Below, please find a listing of all eligible courses. 

    *GPA placement valid for current juniors and seniors only (2023-2024 academic year) 

    **Accuplacer testing is being held remotely & in-person. The testing center can only remotely proctor exams five (5) students at one time. Student must have a computer, internet access and web-camera. They will be asked to download Zoom to their computer. The testing center can be contacted by testing@berkshirecc.edu.

    As always, if you have any questions please contact Kiara Badillo at any time.

*The grant will cover tuition and fees. Purchase of books and other classroom materials will be the responsibility of the student. Please note that funding is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. No additional funds will be available once the grant monies have been exhausted.

Contact Us

Questions or concerns?

earlycollege@berkshirecc.edu

To Apply use Early College Registration Form

Choose Two Summer Courses from the Eligible Options Below:

  • BCC Early College Course Listings (Summer Session I) 

    Entry-level (Online) 

    • CIS-102-20 (50934): Fundamental Computer Literacy, 05/31/2022-07/20/2022 Web-Based
    • COM-104-10 (49951) Intro Interpersonal Communication, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based
    • COM-104-11 (49952) Intro Interpersonal Communication, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based
    • COM-106-20 (50439) Oral Interpretation of Literature, 06/06/2022-07/18/2022 Virtual, Monday 05:30PM - 07:00PM
    • ECO-211-30 (49958) Principles of Microeconomics, 07/11/2022-08/18/2022 2022 Web-Based
    • ECO-212-10 (49959) Principles of Macroeconomics, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 2022 Web-Based
    • ENG-101-10 (49963) Composition I, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based
    • FAS-171-20 (49971) Pre-Renaissance Art History, 05/31/2022-07/20/2022 Web-Based
    • HIS-121-10 (49974) World History to 1500, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based
    • HIS-122-30 (49975) World History Since 1500, 07/11/2022-08/18/2022 Web-Based
    • GEO-125-20 (49973) World Geography, 05/31/2022-07/20/2022 Web-Based
    • MUS-110-10 (49987) American Popular Music, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based
    •  PSY-107-10 (49989) Introductory Psychology, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based
    • SOC-105-20 (49994) Introductory Sociology, 05/31/2022-07/20/2022 Web-Based

    Entry-level (In-person)

    • ENG-101-20 (50445) Composition I, Main Campus, 05/31/2022-07/19/2022, Tuesday, Thursday 05:30PM - 08:15PM, Melville Hall, Room 209
    • MAT-121-20 (49983) Precalculus, Main Campus, 05/31/2022-07/19/2022, Tuesday, Thursday 05:00PM - 08:45PM, Melville Hall, Room 209
    • FAS-111-20 (49970) Drawing I, Main Campus, 06/01/2022-07/20/2022, Hybrid Monday, Wednesday 09:00AM - 12:00PM, Koussevitzky Arts Center, Room 118

    Advanced Coursework (Online) 

    • ENG-215-20 (49969) Intro to Literature, 05/31/2022-07/20/2022 Web-Based
    • HUM-121-10 (49976) Intro to the Humanities, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based
    •  HUM-121-11 (50447) Intro to the Humanities, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based  
  • BCC Early College Course Listings (Summer Session II) 

    (Online)

    • HUM-121-11 (50447) Intro to the Humanities, 05/31/2022-07/06/2022 Web-Based  
    • ENG-102-30 (49966) Composition II, 07/11/2022-08/18/2022 Web-Based
    •  ENG-102-31 (49967) Composition II, 07/13/2022-08/17/2022, Virtual Wednesday 05:30-07:00PM
    •  ENG-102-32 (49968) Composition II, 07/13/2022-08/17/2022, Virtual Wednesday 05:30-07:00PM
    •  MUS-145-30 (50449) World Music, 07/11/2022-08/18/2022 Web-Based
    •  PSY-204-30 (49990) Human Growth & Develop, 07/11/2022-08/18/2022 Web-Based
    •  PSY-226-30 (49992) Abnormal Psychology, 07/11/2022-08/18/2022 Web-Based

     
    (In Person)

    • MAT-123-30 (50935) Elementary Statistics, Main Campus, 07/12/2022-08/18/2022, Tuesday, Thursday 05:00PM - 08:45PM, Melville Hall, Room 317 

Great news! BCC is offering free college courses to high school juniors and seniors.

  • Students can take up to 15 credits this spring, student schedules permitting, tuition and fees will be waived.

To enroll, students can use the Early College registration form

Juniors and seniors can place into college-level classes with a high school GPA of 2.7 or higher, or take the Accuplacer placement exam (Students looking to take Pre-Calculus, Calculus, or higher will be required to take the Math Accuplacer.)

Fifteen (15) credits is a full course load. The College does not encourage all students to take 15 credits. Students must take their high school schedule, classes, sports, extra-curricular activities into account.

A low-Grade Point Average (GPA) and Withdraws can affect a student’s future financial aid eligibility. See the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for more details.

Students taking 9 credits or more will automatically charged for health insurance. If students hae health insurance they will want to waive the insurance fee at Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk

To check pre-reqs please refer to the BCC College Catalog.
 
Students who currently have an IEP or 504 plan can contact BCC's Disability Resource Center

Contact Us

Early College team:

Kiara Badillo, Dual Enrollment Coach
413-236-1635
kbadillo@berkshirecc.edu

Shelly Armstrong, Advisor
Email: sarmstrong@berkshirecc.edu
Phone: 413-236-1639

early college scholar


To Apply use Early College Registration Form

Remember!
Registering early for college classes is extremely helpful for students to be able to get books and login support before classes start! (2 weeks before classes start is ideal.)
 
Spring classes start on the Jan. 24, 2022, and the Add/Drop period runs from Jan. 24 - Jan. 31. 

Early College Information Sessions

Join the Admission and Early College staff for live information sessions and 1-on-1 discussions to learn more about the program and the admission process.

Click on a session type to learn more about it and to register.

  • Virtual Early College General Information Session: What Is Early College?

    A 20-minute PowerPoint presentation with Q&A going over what early college is, who it is for and how you can apply for early college.

    Times Offered

    • Every Tuesday @ 1pm
    • Every Wednesday @ 6pm

    Register Online

  • Virtual One-on-One Early College Support

    The goal of these sessions is to give one on one support for students. From helping them register, answering questions about if this is a good fit for them, and helping them narrow down what classes they would like to take and support logging on.

    Times Offered

    • Monday & Tuesdays@ 9:00am, 10:00am, 2:00pm & 3:00pm (45-minute blocks)
    • Wednesdays @ 11:00am, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm (45-minute blocks)
    • Thursday @ 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm (45-minute blocks) 
    • Fridays by email request only!

    Register Online

  • Virtual Group Login Sessions: How do I Login to my BCC Accounts?

    A 30-minute PowerPoint presentation with Q&A going over how to log into all your BCC accounts, from email to web advisor! Presentation will include Screenshots of login pages and will allow time for students to try to login during the presentation.

    Just click the register online button below and then choose one of three meeting types above the calendar and then book any available time that pops up.

    Register Online

More Details

To apply for this opportunity:

Complete the Early College Application Form This form requires guidance counselor approval.

Return the form to Kiara Badillo, Dual Enrollment Coach: kbadillo@berkshirecc.edu

Students who have already taken one free ‘Bridge to College’ course this year are still eligible for this program.

Applications will be processed in the order they are received.

Apply to Early College

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who can apply for Early College?

    To be eligible for Early College a student must meet the following criteria:

    • Be a local high school student, this includes home schooled students
    • Be a Massachusetts Resident
    • Shown to be at a college level by GPA placement (2.7 or higher) or by taking the Accuplacer
  • What are the different forms of Early College?

    There are three ways you can earn college credit while in high school

    • Bridge to College program is for High School Seniors. High school seniors are eligible for one free college-level course during their senior year. Student is responsible for cost of books and transportation.
    • Concurrent Enrollment, is when a student takes a high school course for college credit. The high school course must go through an approval process with Berkshire Community College. Check with your school or contact the BCC Early College Team to see if this is available at your school.
    • Dual Enrollment is when any high school student takes a college course and receives college credit. Student is responsible for cost of tuition and fees, books and transportation.
  • How do I know if I am eligible to take a course?

    Some courses have pre-requisites (requirements before taking the course), many you must be considered college-level reading and writing. Certain courses require a specific level of Math.

    You can demonstrate college-level reading and writing one of two ways

    • High School GPA of 2.7 or higher
    • Scored college-level reading and writing by taking our Accuplacer placement exam

    Depending on the Math requirement you may be place into the course based on High School GPA, otherwise the Accuplacer exam is required

  • What kind of classes could I take in Early College?

    You could take any college course that interested you as long as you meet the requirements of the course, this would be based on your Accuplacer score or your high school GPA. You should always check with your Guidance Counselor to see if you will receive high school credit for the course.

    The BCC Early College Team could help choose the best course for you.

  • Where would I need to go to take an Early College course?

    You could take a course on BCC's Main Campus, or any of our off-campus sites. You could even take an online course.

  • What are some High School Concurrent Courses?

    These were recent High School Concurrent Courses:

    Taconic High School

    • Health Technology Program - BIO-150 (3 credits)
    • Human Anatomy & Physiology - BIO-150 (3 credits)

    Pittsfield High School

    • Human Anatomy & Physiology - BIO-150 (3 credits)

    Lee High School

    • AP English - ENG -101 and ENG-102(6 credits)
    • AP Statistics - MAT-123 (3 credits)
    • Spanish 4 Honors - SPA-201 (4 credits)
    • AP Biology - BIO-105 (4 credits)
    • AP Physics - PHY-101 (4 credits)

    Wahconah Regional High School

    • Human Anatomy & Physiology - BIO-150 (3 credits)
    • Environmental Science - ENV-101 (4 credits)

    Monument Mountain Regional High School

    • Early Childhood Education - ECE-104 (3 credits)
    • Personal Finance - BUS-139 (3 credits)

Early College Videos

View our informational webinars below for more information about Early College at BCC.

Other Ways to Earn Credits

Are you in a vocational program at your high school? You too can earn college credits for classes you’re already taking! Check out the Career Vocational Technical Education (CVTE) program for a full list of classes at your high school.

Make transitioning to college easier