BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–Berkeley Middle College High School is now accepting applications for the 2015-2016 school year. There are approximately 50 openings for current tenth-graders in the Class of 2017. Berkeley Middle College will accept applications post-marked or delivered by February 15, 2015.
The middle college concept is a national educational model that allows high school students to take dual credit classes on a college campus and earn both high school and college credit while completing their high school career. Berkeley Middle College is fortunate to have a strong commitment from and be co-located with the Trident Technical College Berkeley Campus. “We have to constantly dispel myths about what the middle college is, because it is so nontraditional,” said Claire Freeman, Principal of Berkeley Middle College.
Berkeley Middle College is an accredited Berkeley County high school. Students must be responsible and disciplined to succeed in their courses because of the level of freedom associated with the middle college environment. Students are responsible for getting themselves to their college classes on time and completing assignments. Berkeley Middle College has an administrator, counselor and a high school teaching staff to guide students’ education and who also serve as intermediaries when coaching students on the finer points of interacting with their college professors. However, students can still take time to enjoy the high school experience. Student athletes can participate on the high school teams for which they were zoned before being accepted to the middle college.
“It is sometimes difficult to believe that it is true that high school students can earn so much college credit before they finish high school,” said Principal Freeman. This year, the school expects at least ten graduates to receive an Associate’s Degree from Trident Tech a full month before they receive their Berkeley Middle College High School diploma. In the past four years of the school’s operations, seven students have completed their two-year degrees and two students have graduated as Certified Nursing Assistants.
Students enroll in college classes through Trident Tech at the main campus and satellite campuses that suit the students’ educational needs. The average graduate has earned 27 college hours by the time they receive their high school diplomas. This puts them a year or more ahead of their peers in the Class of 2015 as they have already completed basic college requirements.
School faculty say they are only limited by space on the Trident Tech campus. “It has taken the school several years to develop an identity and reputation throughout the school district,” said Principal Freeman. A lottery system had to be implemented to get one of the coveted seats in class. Since it is a public high school, there is no cost for tuition. As long as the students pass their college classes, there is no cost for Trident Technical College tuition or textbooks. However, Berkeley Middle College does charge students a $125.00 text and technology fee per year.
Parents and potential students may call Berkeley Middle College at 843-899- 8111 for more information. The school is located at 1001 South Live Oak Drive in Monck Corner on Trident Technical College’s Berkeley Campus.
- ‘Light The Way For Hope’ Ceremony To Remember Those Lost To Overdose - August 22, 2024
- Berkeley County Opening Emergency Shelters Ahead of Debby - August 5, 2024
- Nearly Century-Old St. Stephen School To Be Torn Down - March 20, 2024
Recent Comments