Early College Options
Ready to get an early start on college while still in high school?
Students who are interested in getting an early start on their college classes while still in high school have a few options. Pattonville Early College Options enables students to earn credit toward their high school diplomas while taking college classes on one of the campuses of the St. Louis Community College (STLCC).
Students can choose one of the following:
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Take courses to begin their college experience - Students earn both high school credit and college credit while attending classes on one of STLCC campuses during their junior and/or senior year. Students taking part will attend STLCC full-time. Courses can be used to complete an associate degree at STLCC after high school graduation or eligible courses (CORE 42 courses*) can be transferred to any public, Missouri four-year college or university.
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Earn an associate degree while in high school - Students earn both high school credit and college credit while attending classes full-time at St. Louis Community College (STLCC) at any of their St. Louis campuses their junior and senior year and earn an associate degree. Eligible classes (CORE 42 courses*) are also transferable to any public, Missouri four-year college or university.
Find out more and use the checklist to organize the steps while learning about, applying to, and participating in the Early College Options Program.
Timeline and Deadlines for Candidates taking part in the 2025-26 School Year
Student and Family Informational Meeting- January 15, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at the PHS Library
- Complete STLCC's application- early February 2025
- Take the Accuplacer- mid February 2025 or earlier
- Applications due to PHS- February 24, 2025
- Acceptance to program announced- Early April 2025
- STLCC course enrollment with STLCC- April 2025
- STLCC Orientation- August 2025
Timeline and Deadlines for Current Students in Early College Options Program
Spring Deadlines for Fall Semester:
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Meet with Mr. Boulanger sometime in March before 3/31
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Meet with STLCC advisor after meeting with Mr. Boulanger and before 4/15
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Turn in STLCC Enrollment Form to Dr. Fitzgerald by 4/15
Fall Deadlines for Spring Semester:
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Meet with Mr. Boulanger sometime in October before 10/31
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Meet with STLCC advisor after meeting with Mr. Boulanger and before 11/15
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Turn in STLCC Enrollment Form to Dr. Fitzgerald by PHS 11/15
Note About the CORE 42
The Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) has identified a common set of general education courses called the CORE 42. CORE 42 courses are guaranteed to transfer to any Missouri public college or university to satisfy general education requirements. The Core 42 offers several courses across five knowledge areas: Communications (Oral & Written), Humanities and Fine Arts, Mathematical Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences.
Application Process
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Meet with Michelle Luraschi, PHS College and Career Counselor, to discuss whether this program aligns with and supports your post-graduation goals.
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Apply to STLCC online in early February. For more information on how to apply to STLCC, please visit https://stlcc.edu/admissions/apply-to-stlcc/.
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Take STLCC’s Accuplacer to assess college readiness or submit qualifying ACT scores. Students must meet specific requirements to take part in Pattonville’s program. Students must sign up to take the Accuplacer at STLCC. See here for more information about signing up: https://stlcc.edu/admissions/testing-centers/ . For information on qualifying scores, see the Pattonville Early College Options Information document.
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Download Pattonville's application here. Fill in the form and obtain all necessary signatures. Turn in the form to your grade-level principal.
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Once accepted, complete and sign this agreement form prior to participation.
Important:
Students must be accepted both to STLCC and to the Pattonville Early College Options Program to be dually enrolled and earn credit at both institutions. Additionally, feedback forms will be sent to each applicant’s teachers and counselor to gather information about the student’s potential for success in the Early College Options Program. All applications and feedback forms will be reviewed by a staff committee and a limited number of students will be accepted into the program.
Prefer to attend classes on the PHS campus? These are additional options to earn college credit.
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AP classes - Courses taken on a high school campus using a college-level curriculum. Students earn high school credit, but college credit is dependent on passing an exam at the end of the course and earning a certain score. Individual universities establish which score is needed and whether they will accept the credit. Pattonville offers over twenty AP (Advanced Placement) classes in a variety of subjects.
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Dual credit courses - Courses taken on a high school campus using a college-level curriculum tied to a specific university. Students take classes and earn college credit with their high school teacher, who is also an approved instructor for the college or university. Individual universities determine if they accept the credits. Pattonville offers over thirty dual credit classes in a variety of subjects.
View the PHS course guide for more information or talk to your school counselor.