AP and dual c redit courses have b een a grea t opp or tunit y to prepare myself for college. Aside from the free college credits, they have helped me to develop good study habits and figure out what the b est way for me to learn is. These cla sses give k ds a lot of freedom, while also providing challenges and opp or tunities to grow. I have felt a grea t sense of accomplishment tack ling challenges in college cla sses, and it ha s been nice to have good teachers to help me when I struggle.
– Kate Hennessy BCE Academy
College & C areer Center
The mission of the College and Career Center at Alexandria Area High School is to assist students with all the facets of the high school educational environment in three domains – academic, personal/social, and college/career development. The three are linked for well-rounded student success.
For more information, contact the College & Career Center at AAHS at 320-762-2142 ext 4502
Alexandria Area High School
4300 Pioneer Rd SE, Alexandria, MN 56308
320-762-2142
www.alexschools.org/aahs
Stay, Pl ay, Learn & Earn
Benefits:
• Classes and suppor t offered on high school campus.
• Same rigor and content as an on- campus college class.
• Credits are transcribed the same as if taken on a college campus.
• High school teachers are credentialed through higher ed par tners.
• Potential to save money on college tuition, fees and books before they graduate from high school.
• Stay on the high school campus and receive college credit while staying connected to their school and peer groups.
• Develop and grow within a safe and effective learning environment.
• Get a head star t on their college and career preparation.
O ther information:
• Students must meet eligibility guidelines for enrolling in concurrent courses.
• College credit will transfer according to incoming college/university transfer policies.
Concurrent Enrollment
Through par tnerships with colleges, students can take college - credit bearing courses taught by college -approved high school teachers, during the regular school day on the high school campus. There is no cost to the student to par ticipate in these courses. Students who successfully complete concurrent enrollment courses generate both high school and transcribed college credit from the par tnering college or university.
AAHS Concurrent Enrollment Courses:
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Throughout my high school years, I have taken many different AP and college credit cla sses. These cla sses have challenged and pushed me to develop my resilience fur ther I have also learned to persevere through any problem. By taking these higher-level courses, I have found new interests that I never thought possible When I took AP Biology my sophomore year, it sparked my interest in science and led me to pursue a career in it in the future These cla sses have also made me ready for the rigorous st yle of coursework in college. Without taking these courses, I would not be a s prepared to excel later in life as I am now.
– Cora Bumgarner EMTNR Academy
Advanced Pl acement
The Advanced Placement (AP) program provides an oppor tunity to take college -level courses in a high school setting. AP courses are taught by high school teachers who follow course guidelines developed and published by the College Board. At the conclusion of an AP course, students have the oppor tunity to take the corresponding national AP exam in May. The College Board sets the national test dates for AP exams.
Find out the AP credit policies for colleges of interest: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/getting- credit-placement/search-policies
AP Courses at AAHS:
AP Biology
AP Calculus
AP Chemistr y
AP Environmental Science
AP Human Geography
AP Music Theor y (ever y other year)
AP Precalculus
AP Statistics
AP Studio Ar t
AP US Histor y
AP World Histor y: Modern
For complete information, visit the College Board website at: https://apstudents collegeboard org/what-is-ap
Taking multiple college an AP courses a t AAHS ha taught me much mor than just the ma teria covered in the course
These cla sses help ed m build strong study an note -tak ing habits tha will be essential in colleg AAHS offers a wide variet of college and AP course tha t are ea sy to enroll i and free to take, helping students save money on tuition and get ahead before their freshman year I highly recommend taking advantage of these oppor tunities because they ’ll prepare you for college and set you up for success
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– Sam Kalina EMTNR Academy
College-Level E xa mination Progra m
I began taking AP courses in 9th grade and continued through 10th grade, building a strong academic foundation. In 11th grade, I balanced AP classes with collegelevel courses offered at AAHS, continuing this pattern into my senior year. I chose not to do PSEO so I could stay connec ted with classmates and remain involved in school ac tivities. This path allowed me to take full advantage of the oppor tunities at AAHS while saving money on future college tuition Balancing AP and college courses was challenging but rewarding, helping me grow academically and p ersonally. I'm grateful for the suppor t and resources at AAHS tha t made it p ossible to pursue these opp or tunities while staying engaged in our school communit y!
– Auden Zeller HSHS Academy
K N O W
The College -Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a College Board program that allows students to earn college credit by demonstrating their master y of college -level material in introduc tor y subjec ts through CLEP testing.
To see if your potential college accepts CLEP credit, visit: https://clep.collegeboard.org/school-polic y-search
Through my experience at Alexandria Area High School, I have had the oppor tunit y to par ticipate in many college, AP, and C APS programs I have par ticipated in five separate AP courses, t wo C APS programs (BCE & EMTNR), and numerous concurrent enrollment college courses, including all of my current core classes as a senior These courses allow me to challenge myself and grow as a person, without taking away from my ability to live as an active student and have fun along the way I never had to consider PSEO because of the sheer number of oppor tunities the high school and College and Career Center offered me from day one If I had to do it all over, I would take ever y oppor tunit y again and even more. These courses have prepared my p eers and me for the world beyond high school in ways I can t even imagine yet, and I couldn t recommend them more.
– Jackson Dutcher BCE Academy
Tak ing AP and college courses ha s shap ed my high scho ol experience in numerous meaningful ways. These classes have challenged me academically and pushed me to improve my study habits and collaborate effectively with my peers. Having the opp or tunit y to gain college c redit in high scho ol ha s allowed me to build a strong foundation of knowledge and develop the skills necessar y to succeed in the nex t stage of my life. I am gra teful to my counselors and teachers for encouraging me to take on rigorous coursework and guiding me each step of the way. I recommend this experience to any high school student.
– Ning Zhang HSHS Academy
Articul ation Agreements
Alexandria Area High School has ar ticulation agreements with the Nor th Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS). Ar ticulated college credit is earned when a student enrolls in an applicable program at the par tner college. Ar ticulated classes are taught by high school teachers in the high school setting. There is no cost to the student.
Benefits:
• Classes and suppor t offered on high school campus.
• Same rigor and content as an on- campus college class.
• Credits are transcribed by the par tner college the same as if taken on a college campus.
• Students gain college-level skills for greater success in college.
Center for Advanced Professional Studies
Developing relationships with business is critical to the success of the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS). The CAPS program immerses students in real-world experiences in professional settings. These authentic learning experiences provide a competitive edge.
CAPS Business & College Principles of Marketing provides an emphasis on marketing business concepts. Students spend the semester applying their acquired k nowledge as they engage with par tner- driven projec ts, solving business problems and experiencing the challenges of projec t-based work .
Nor th Dakota State College of Science Ar ticulated Course:
Complete the following at AAHS Earn toward NDSCS Culinar y Ar ts Program
Culinar y Ar ts I CULN 100 Culinar y Fundamentals (3 credits)
Culinar y Ar ts II
Cardinal Café (Culinar y Ar ts III)
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During my time at Alexandria Area High School, I have had the oppor tunit y to take advantage of the many college- credit offering classes While I didn t take any in 9th grade, from 10th grade on, I have filled my schedule with countless college-level classes. I also decided to take all of my classes from the High School instead of PSEO, so I could continue to be involved and grow my relationships with students and teachers. This decision has not been to my detriment, as AAHS offers such a wide variety of college-level courses. The oppor tunit y to take these high-level classes has been invaluable to my high school experience The challenge and rigor provided have not only expanded my knowledge of topics but, more impor tantly, refined my critical thinking and time management skills Through AP and college classes, I have not only saved my self time in college by completing my general educa tion requirements early, but also increased my readiness for the academic rigor that college will present.
– Lars Dahl BCE Academy
CAPS EMTNR offers students projec t-based study in an EMTNR career pathway area. Students collaborate with community par tners on projec ts individually tailored to interests in engineering, manufac turing, architec ture, agriculture, food and natural resources.
CAPS Healthcare offers students a projec t-based study in the area of health applications. Students will par ticipate in several field experiences and a job shadow experience to explore various career oppor tunities within the healthcare field.
CAPS Human Ser vices provides students with a call to ac tion and the ability to impac t change within the community through authentic learning experiences.
CAPS Teacher Education & College Introduc tion to Education & Lab offers students an oppor tunity to be surrounded by a variety of experiences including classroom obser vations, internships, mentorships, network ing, modeling, and prac ticum.
Benefits:
• Students work with an AAHS teacher and business professionals from the par tnering company.
• Students earn high school credit and in some cases college credit at the same time.
• Students work side by side with industr y exper ts on authentic projects and tasks all while growing their professional skills.
• Students develop professional skills and expand their resume through internships.
Career Internship offers students the oppor tunity to intern with a local professional in a career of their choice. Career internships may include produc t design or may be an ex tension of a CAPS projec t or experience.