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Early College Programs

Admission & Aid

Earn college credits this fall.

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

  • 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