As promised, here are some basics about three main types of programs offered at different schools.
Cyprus offers several concurrent enrollment classes through the Salt Lake Community College. Basically, this means that you can take one course for both high school and community college credit at the same time, working toward your high school diploma AND your associate's degree simultaneously. Also, concurrent enrollment classes should be more challenging than regular high school classes (although I am not sure if they are more challenging than honors or AP classes).
Here are some advantages to CE classes as listed at the SLCC website.
Why Take Concurrent Enrollment?
- Students get a head start on college courses.
- Duplication of classes is reduced, shortening the time necessary to earn a college degree.
- Students can develop study habits and critical thinking skills essential to college success.
- Courses facilitate transition from high school to college.
- Parents and students save money.New challenges are added to the senior year.
- Undecided students can determine if college is right for them.
As always, there are some disadvantages, too. The greatest disadvantage is that the credit is only for the community college and MAY NOT be transferrable to other community colleges or to some universities. (I have had several former students bewail the lack of transfer credits to me.) Also, as cool as it is to earn an associate's degree, one must remember that it is not the same as a bachelor's degree.
Really, it depends on what you want. Planning on being an electrician? This may be exactly what you need. (Check with your counselor.) Going into international business? This might not be the best for you. (Again, check with your counselor.)
Advanced Placement courses are offered in most local high schools, although not every course is offered in every school. AP classes are basically what would be covered in one semester of a university undergrad course ( i.e. a student working on her/his BA or BS degree) stretched over a full year of high school. Taking the AP course does not automatically give the student university credit; the student must take a test at the end of the year and receive a score. Most local universities accept scores of 3, 4, and 5 for university credit. Some community colleges or other small colleges will accept a 2. Large, famous, prestigious universities often will not accept below a 5 for credit. Some universities in the UK will even accept these test scores for credit! (Not all of Oxford, though.)
Advantages of taking AP classes are myriad. The student is challenged with university level work, has the chance to earn credit that is widely accepted and transferrable, with the credit counting toward a BA or a BS, not just a 2-year degree. Many subjects are offered, and a student may choose one or several. (One of my former students carried 7 AP classes her senior year at Cyprus.) It is even possible to work out a curriculum of self-study and take a test not offered at one's own school, although this way does not give high school credit to the student. (My nephew worked out his own studying for AP Asian history two years ago and earned a 5 on the exam, although he had to take the test at a high school other than his own.) It is possible with AP credits to take up to 3 semesters off of one's university years by doing the courses in high school.
Naturally, there are some disadvantages as well. One is cost. EACH test costs around $90 now. (I don't know the exact cost, but I know these aren't cheap.) However, this is still MUCH cheaper than paying for university credit hours. Another disadvantage for high level learners is that there is no screening process to get into an AP class. Anyone can take them, and that can mean that a serious student may be surrounded by not-so-serious ones.
Here are some websites where you can learn more about AP classes: wikipedia, Good Schools' Guide International, and, of course, the AP website itself.
The International Baccalaureate program is a third option. It is currently offered at Skyline High School in Granite District and at Highland and West in Salt Lake District.
The IB program was created a few decades ago to "provide an internationally acceptable university admissions qualification suitable for the growing mobile population of young people whose parents were part of the world of diplomacy, international and multi-national organizations." (click here for citation) In other words, diplomats' kids traveling from country to country needed (and still need) some kind of transfer credits as they went from school to school. It wasn't long, however, before someone realized that kids who stayed in one country for all their schooling could benefit from this program as well. The idea of IB is that it is rigorous, accepted in many universities world-wide (not just in the US), and that it is international. So, if a student takes AP courses for English credits, s/he's likely to study almost entirely British and American literature. The IB student may study authors from the US and the UK, but also from Columbia or Korea or South Africa or Germany. (I have neighbors who are in the IB program at West and two former students in the Skyline IB program. I've seen their reading lists, which are EXTENSIVE and international in scope.)
The advantages of IB are numerous: rigor in the curriculum, classmates who are serious about their studies, world-wide acceptance of the curricula, and preparation for work in a global society.
The disadvantages are that there are no schools near Magna that have this program and there has been a fair amount of rumor and bad press against IB program after Utah Sen. Margaret Dayton from Orem in 2008 equated the global nature of IB with being somehow unpatriotic and called it "anti-American." (Here's your citation.)
Your best bet is, of course, to decide for yourself. If you are planning to live, work, or study outside the US, you should probably have a serious look at IB (although, there were no IB programs in Utah when I was in high school, but that didn't stop me from doing my MSc degree outside the US). Here are some sites where you can learn more: wikipedia and the IB website.
Also, keep in mind that, depending on your high school, it is possible to mix and match courses from 2 or even 3 of these programs as you choose classes to help you on your educational and career paths.
There you go, folks. I hope this helps you (as it took me over an hour to compile and type all this for you!).
