The following information was submitted by Ansonia Public Schools.
As the 119 students of the Ansonia High School Class of 2016 received their diplomas under a sunny early evening sky on June 9 at Jarvis Field, these students became one of Ansonia’s most successful classes in terms of college credit earnings.
This is something that puts a smile on the faces of most families who are facing the daunting reality of annual college tuition costs of $40,000 and more.
The top ten graduates – six of whom will be attending the University of Connecticut– averaged nearly 20 college credits each through the end of their junior year of high school.
They are still awaiting the results of their most recent Advanced Placement tests, along with 36 other seniors from AHS.
When Carol Merlone was promoted to Superintendent of Schools in 2008, she made it her mission to increase the number of college-level courses in Ansonia High School (AHS).
In eight years, the number of college-level courses has grown to 11 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, eight UConn courses, three Housatonic Community College (HCC) courses and two University of New Haven (UNH) courses.
College Credit Savings – Updated by The Valley Indy
While it is difficult to calculate the tuition savings since universities and colleges have different guidelines on the acceptance of credits earned in high school, the following data has been compiled:
— Nearly 100 juniors and seniors at AHS earned college credit from one or more of the UConn, HCC or UNH courses this year.
— The 13 courses offered by UConn, HCC and UNH offered three to eight credits per course. Courses include Chemistry, Drawing, U.S. History, Modern World Traditions, Physics, Environmental, Statistics, Accounting, Marketing, English, Digital Electronics and Computer Science.
— Based on the cost of tuition at each of these universities, the college credit earnings total $205,227.20.
— The 46 seniors enrolled in the following AP courses this year: Computer Science, English IV Literature & Composition, Calculus, Psychology; Statistics, Physics and Chemistry. The number of credits for each course range from three to eight.
“This is an extremely impressive accomplishment by our students,” Merlone said. “While our budgets have been extremely tight and we’ve had to make cuts in recent years, we have been able to maintain and expand our college-credit courses thanks to the dedication of our staff and the use of grant funds.”
“Some colleges, such as Yale and Harvard, do not accept the credits that our students earn. Other colleges, such as UConn, require a very high score on Advanced Placement exams,” Merlone said. “Regardless, our students have the opportunity to experience the rigor of college level work, starting in their sophomore years of high school, and this will help prepare them for the next phase of their educational careers.”
Will Phipps, the son of Board of Education member Chris Phipps, graduated Thursday night with 29 college credits: 16 from UConn, and 13 from HCC. His mother, Nina, said he began taking these demanding classes during his sophomore year. Will is attending Stonehill College in Massachusetts next year, majoring in accounting. Depending upon the number of credits that will be accepted, it will help put a dent into the cost of a one year tuition of $58,000.
Nina added that even if some course credits are not accepted by Stonehill, Will can use the course hours toward the number required in order to take the CPA exam after his senior year of college.
“These classes teach students how to handle the work that they will be getting in College,” Nina said. “The teachers of these courses are incredible with these kids. They are always available to help them every step of the way.”
