Freshmen enter with junior standing
Number of high school students taking advanced placement courses on the rise
Jessica Branen
Issue date: 9/29/05 Section: Campus News
When Freshman Megan Ault tells people she's a first-year student with junior standing, it usually takes a 10-minute conversation for people to understand.
"In the beginning (of the semester) ... I would say, 'Oh I'm just a freshman,' " Ault said. "(Now) I switch it up."
Freshman Danielle Prelip has the same predicament.
"They say 'What? You're only 18,' and then I'll briefly explain the story," she said.
Ault and Prelip are two of the three first-year students who entered the 2005 fall semester as juniors.
Ault's older sister had attended post-secondary education at Concordia University (Minn.), and she had been considering doing the same.
Ault made the decision after her father switched jobs.
She left Concordia Academy in Roseville, Minn., and started attending Concordia University as a post-secondary student.
Ault could have stayed with Concordia Academy, but it was $2,000 a year just to take a religion class to stay enrolled.
"It was a good opportunity," Ault said of her choice. She received a college education without the hefty price of tuition.
"I still had to take credits to go towards my senior year," Ault pointed out, but she said she didn't have to attend a new school for her final two years of high school.
Ault did not venture into college courses alone.
"I had a few friends from (Concordia Academy) who came," she said. "But no one I knew did it as much as I did."
Prelip stayed enrolled at Prior Lake High School (Minn.), but took courses at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn.
"I just wanted to do something different ... I was bored with the whole idea (of high school)," she said.
Ault and Prelip are entering their first year at UW-Eau Claire with more than the 60 credits needed for them to be classified as a junior.
Though she technically can graduate in two years, Ault sees herself taking her time and exploring what she really wants to do.
She said she is a nursing major with a Spanish minor and now she might consider adding an English minor as well.
"I also want to study abroad," Ault said.
Prelip is double major in graphic design and marketing.
Along with a hefty workload, Prelip also is in the Navy Reserve.
"I still want to go to school and do graphic design," she said. "I wanted to join the military ... it's a way to do both."
Both women feel their choice to take college courses put them two steps forward and one step back.
"I feel more prepared, I'm able to manage my time pretty well," Prelip said.
But at the 300 level, "It's a lot of work," Ault said. "(There are) people around that want to do stuff and it's harder to say no."
Prelip has the same difficult situation. She has just started school after finishing U.S. Navy boot camp.
"My roommate doesn't like to do homework," she said. "She'll say 'Let's go play Yahtzee' and I'll be like 'I have 3 weeks of stuff to do!' "
This year, there has been a significant increase in students coming into college with credits already under their belt.
Debbie Gough, Eau Claire's director of advising and new student initiatives, compiled information for a report about the incoming freshmen.
According to the report, 24 new freshmen entered Eau Claire with sophomore standing - a significant increase over last year when only eight new students entered at sophomore standing.
Gough's report also stated while students, like Ault, who are taking college courses in high school declined from last year's numbers, the number of students taking Advanced Placement or college-level courses has risen.
Tim Leibham, principal of Eau Claire Memorial High School, also saw a significant increase in the number of students doing college-level work through the Advanced Placement classes the high school offers, he said.
Over the past nine years as principal, students enrolling in AP courses has jumped from 7 to 25 percent, Leibham said.
Memorial offers a wide range of AP courses from mechanical physics to United States government.
"Our goal is to have them graduate and go onto a secondary education," he said.
Students take AP classes for many reasons, he said. They can earn credit for college through the final exam at the end of the year.
"They think, 'I want to surround myself with students with the same goals,' " he said.
Leibham pointed out that AP courses do have a downside.
"At times, the ability (to express or imagine) is limited" with the workload and time it takes to complete the class, he said.
Still, the incoming class has shown they were willing to take the extra workload and get ahead compared to previous incoming students.
The credits they have earned equals 467 semesters worth of courses which, Gough's report found, will result in decreased time needed to earn their degrees.
Even if they are ahead, Ault explains, there is still so much she wants to do.
"I am a freshmen age-wise," she said. "I'm still young."
"In the beginning (of the semester) ... I would say, 'Oh I'm just a freshman,' " Ault said. "(Now) I switch it up."
Freshman Danielle Prelip has the same predicament.
"They say 'What? You're only 18,' and then I'll briefly explain the story," she said.
Ault and Prelip are two of the three first-year students who entered the 2005 fall semester as juniors.
Ault's older sister had attended post-secondary education at Concordia University (Minn.), and she had been considering doing the same.
Ault made the decision after her father switched jobs.
She left Concordia Academy in Roseville, Minn., and started attending Concordia University as a post-secondary student.
Ault could have stayed with Concordia Academy, but it was $2,000 a year just to take a religion class to stay enrolled.
"It was a good opportunity," Ault said of her choice. She received a college education without the hefty price of tuition.
"I still had to take credits to go towards my senior year," Ault pointed out, but she said she didn't have to attend a new school for her final two years of high school.
Ault did not venture into college courses alone.
"I had a few friends from (Concordia Academy) who came," she said. "But no one I knew did it as much as I did."
Prelip stayed enrolled at Prior Lake High School (Minn.), but took courses at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn.
"I just wanted to do something different ... I was bored with the whole idea (of high school)," she said.
Ault and Prelip are entering their first year at UW-Eau Claire with more than the 60 credits needed for them to be classified as a junior.
Though she technically can graduate in two years, Ault sees herself taking her time and exploring what she really wants to do.
She said she is a nursing major with a Spanish minor and now she might consider adding an English minor as well.
"I also want to study abroad," Ault said.
Prelip is double major in graphic design and marketing.
Along with a hefty workload, Prelip also is in the Navy Reserve.
"I still want to go to school and do graphic design," she said. "I wanted to join the military ... it's a way to do both."
Both women feel their choice to take college courses put them two steps forward and one step back.
"I feel more prepared, I'm able to manage my time pretty well," Prelip said.
But at the 300 level, "It's a lot of work," Ault said. "(There are) people around that want to do stuff and it's harder to say no."
Prelip has the same difficult situation. She has just started school after finishing U.S. Navy boot camp.
"My roommate doesn't like to do homework," she said. "She'll say 'Let's go play Yahtzee' and I'll be like 'I have 3 weeks of stuff to do!' "
This year, there has been a significant increase in students coming into college with credits already under their belt.
Debbie Gough, Eau Claire's director of advising and new student initiatives, compiled information for a report about the incoming freshmen.
According to the report, 24 new freshmen entered Eau Claire with sophomore standing - a significant increase over last year when only eight new students entered at sophomore standing.
Gough's report also stated while students, like Ault, who are taking college courses in high school declined from last year's numbers, the number of students taking Advanced Placement or college-level courses has risen.
Tim Leibham, principal of Eau Claire Memorial High School, also saw a significant increase in the number of students doing college-level work through the Advanced Placement classes the high school offers, he said.
Over the past nine years as principal, students enrolling in AP courses has jumped from 7 to 25 percent, Leibham said.
Memorial offers a wide range of AP courses from mechanical physics to United States government.
"Our goal is to have them graduate and go onto a secondary education," he said.
Students take AP classes for many reasons, he said. They can earn credit for college through the final exam at the end of the year.
"They think, 'I want to surround myself with students with the same goals,' " he said.
Leibham pointed out that AP courses do have a downside.
"At times, the ability (to express or imagine) is limited" with the workload and time it takes to complete the class, he said.
Still, the incoming class has shown they were willing to take the extra workload and get ahead compared to previous incoming students.
The credits they have earned equals 467 semesters worth of courses which, Gough's report found, will result in decreased time needed to earn their degrees.
Even if they are ahead, Ault explains, there is still so much she wants to do.
"I am a freshmen age-wise," she said. "I'm still young."
| Freshmen Facts * 503 students received credit through AP testing or International Baccalaureate tests. This is up from 466 students last year. * 326 students took college courses while in high school, compared to 350 last year. * 39 percent of freshmen enter college with credits by combining examination and transfer work, up from 37 percent last year. * 24 freshmen have sophomore status, up from 8 last year. * 3 freshmen have junior standing; no freshmen did last year. - Debbie Gough |