Welcome to Early College Experience!
Early College Experience program (ECE) is a partnership between NWACC and northwest Arkansas high schools. Under this program, NWACC and participating high schools agree to help accelerate student progress toward a college degree. Preparation for college involves careful selection of courses no later than 9th grade. This program involves students, high school counselors, parents and college personnel in course selection from the beginning of high school. The best preparation for college is a high school program designed for college bound students, and ECE offers a rigorous and rewarding course of study. Students in Early College Experience can take transferable college core curriculum courses while still in high school.
The philosophy behind Early College Experience
The program is built around these assumptions:
Students would prefer to remain in high school while earning college credits.
High school students can successfully complete college level work while in high school.
Taking college courses encourages students to continue college studies after high school.
Benefits of Early College Experience courses
Early College Experience courses:
• Reduce the time and cost of obtaining a college degree
• Facilitate the transition between high school and college
• Prepare students for college and reduce the need for remedial coursework
• Increase access to higher education to underserved student populations
Courses
Early College Experience courses are challenging because they are college courses. They have the same learning outcomes, study requirements, and textbooks as the courses offered at the NWACC campus. Courses offered include college English, mathematics, communications, natural sciences, social sciences, behavioral sciences and humanities. The state of Arkansas' required minimum college core curriculum provides a good guideline for selecting courses in high school. Information about the core curriculum is available in high school counseling offices or in our office on campus.
Faculty
All ECE courses are taught by faculty who meet or exceed NWACC's standards for experience and academic credentials (at least a master's degree in the subject taught). ECE faculty must be approved by the appropriate academic department head and the Vice President of Instruction.
Program eligibility and requirements
Eligible students must meet the following criteria to participate in ECE:
• Be enrolled in grades 10-12
• Have a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 grading system
• Have an appropriate placement score on standardized tests. See charts below
Placement Score Requirements
ALL college courses, including Math and English, require the following minimum College-level Reading scores:
College-level Reading Required minimum scores
ACT Reading 19
COMPASS Reading 83
SAT Reading 480
PSAT Reading 48
PLAN Reading 15
EXPLORE Reading 14
English Composition Required minimum scores (In addition to College-level Reading scores above)
ACT English 19
COMPASS Writing 80
SAT Writing 480
PSAT Writing 48
PLAN Writing 16
EXPLORE Writing 14
College Algebra Required minimum scores (In addition to College-level Reading scores above)
ACT Math 21
COMPASS Algebra 65
SAT Math 500
PSAT Math 50 plus successful completion of high school Algebra II with C or better
PLAN Math 21 plus successful completion of high school Algebra II with C or better
Finite Math
ACT Math 24 or successful completion of College Algebra with C or better, and College-level Reading
COMPASS Col. Algebra 46-99, and College-level Reading
Trigonometry
ACT Math 24 or successful completion of College Algebra with C or better, and College-level Reading
COMPASS Col. Algebra 46-99, and College-level Reading
College requirements
Even after taking college courses, students have to meet the admission requirement of the colleges and universities to which they are applying. Students should check with the college or university of their choosing for particular admission information. Generally, admission decisions are based on high school grades, class rank, and ACT/SAT examination scores.
For enrollment and program information email earlycollege@nwacc.edu or call (479) 725-4688.
