When entering junior or senior year, there are a few choices students can take to earn college credit: AP, Running Start, or Sno-Isle. Between the three, each offers different opportunities and different ways to earn college credit, and each of the programs has different advantages and disadvantages.
AP (Advanced Placement) is a program that offers college-in-high school classes so students can study a subject at a college level. There are a variety of AP courses students can choose from, and students can earn college credit by taking an AP Exam for their specific course at the end of the year, which costs around $98 to take. The exams are graded from 1-5, and depending on the college, you can earn some college credit for scoring between 3-5 on the exam. On average, 60% of students who take an AP exam score a 3 or higher according to the AP College Board. “I really like staying in the community with a bunch of friends. I have a lot of friends that go to school [here], so I like seeing them every day,” Landon Theaker said.
Another option is Running Start, which is a program that allows students to apply to be college students, where students can earn college credits, an associate degree, or both, before graduating high school through local Community Colleges. Students can enroll full-time in Running Start, meaning all their classes are held at the community college. Students can also do part-time Running Start, where students can have a schedule with both high school and college classes. Students also have the option to either take their classes online or in person through Running Start. “It’s great, it’s very relaxing, and the workload is very manageable. It’s good for people who want to save money on college tuition and people that just want to get ahead in their college education,” Kevin O’Callaghan said.
Sno-Isle is a technical school that trains and educates juniors and seniors in the Snohomish and South Island Counties to learn how to work in various fields. They have a variety of programs such as nursing, cosmetology, culinary, fashion, aeronautics, criminal justice, and more that give an inside scoop on how each career works. These courses usually run for a year or two depending on the course. Students who take it can earn dual credits in certain courses they take, where students can get both high school and college course credits for the courses they have taken within the program. “I chose it because I am a very hands-on learner. Sno-Isle gives me a chance to pursue an interest without having to do it in college, so I can get a head start on it. I recommend it because they have a wide range of programs. I feel like there is something there for everyone, anyone can find something that they enjoy there, and they can really like it there,” Keelie Sullivan said.