The Middle college journey with Nupur and Pundalik

This conversation involves Harpal Kochar, Nupur, and Pundalik discussing the Middle College program, an educational initiative allowing high school students to take college courses for credit.

Nupur shares her experience, noting the benefits of earning guaranteed college credits through community college courses, which can expedite the completion of a degree. She distinguishes between Middle College and the more competitive College Advantage program, highlighting that Middle College participants still must complete high school requirements while taking college courses. Nupur emphasizes the program's financial advantages, including free tuition and textbook reimbursements and the application process involving essays, GPA requirements, and interviews.

The discussion also touches on the strategic advantages of community college for undecided students, offering an environment to explore interests and make informed decisions about their future studies. The conversation concludes with reflections on the value of community college as a space for personal and academic growth, underscoring the importance of making informed decisions tailored to individual goals and circumstances.

Summary

• The experience of getting into middle college. 

• The process of applying.

• Community college benefits.

• The importance of networking.

• How do you know what’s the right thing to do? 

• Why Nupur wanted to go to community college.

• Transitioning from high school 11th grade to middle college.

• The California High School Proficiency Test. 

• California high school proficiency test vs. middle college proficiency test.

• What the senior year looks like at Middle College.

• How many credits do you need to finish your associate’s? 

• How much it costs to go to community college?

• The application process for College Advantage. 

The one advantage of doing middle college over college is that

• if you’re in college, you still have to take your history and physics. 

• The middle college vs. college advantage.

• How to get 22 credits per year.

• I was struggling with high school math.

• The middle college has an age requirement of 16.

How many people apply for the program? 

• Junior year vs. senior year applications.

• How many students apply for the program?

• Advantage of community college vs. middle college.

• Transfer agreements and transfer agreements.

What’s the transfer acceptance guarantee? 

• The Transfer acceptance guarantee (TAG) advantage

• Community college is about creating an environment for students. 

The importance of understanding students.

• What are some students who haven’t figured out what they want to do in college? 

• College is a way to discover.

• The importance of taking time for yourself.