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 (includes home-schooled students)
- Be a Massachusetts resident
- Be placed at a college level by GPA (2.7 or higher) or by taking the Accuplacer
What are the different types of Early College enrollment?
There are two ways you can earn college credit while in high school:
- Concurrent Enrollment: High school students take a high school course for college credit. The high school
course must pass an approval process with Berkshire Community College. Check with your school or contact the BCC Early College Team to check availability at your school.
- Dual Enrollment: High school students take college courses and receive college credit. Students are
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), meaning
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:
Depending on the math requirement, you may be placed into a course based on high school
GPA; otherwise, the Accuplacer exam is required.
What kind of classes may I take in Early College?
You may take any college course that interests you, provided you meet the requirements
of the course (based on your Accuplacer score or your high school GPA). You should
always check with your school counselor to make sure you will receive high school
credit for the course.
The BCC Early College Team can help choose the best course for you.
Where do I go to take an Early College course?
You can take a course on BCC's Main Campus or at any of our off-campus sites. Online
courses are also available.
What are some high school concurrent courses?
Recent concurrent courses include:
Taconic High School
- Health Technology Program - BIO-150 (3 credits)
- Human Anatomy and Physiology - BIO-150 (3 credits)
Pittsfield High School
- Human Anatomy and 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 and 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)
What other ways can I 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