The Accelerated High School Program

Plymouth State University is unveiling a new program that will allow high school students to take college courses, in order to meet certain requirements for their high school curriculum. 

The Accelerated High School Program is designed to allow high school students to challenge themselves academically and expand their coursework. Ryan Patten, the Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, said, “This program isn’t meant to replace their high school curriculum but add to it in a meaningful way and deepen their educational experience.”

The program was previously only available to students enrolled at Plymouth Regional High School, but it is now open to any high school and homeschooled student. Patten also stated that PSU is offering these courses to students because “it seemed right to expand this to any high school student who is interested in advanced coursework and is qualified to take the classes.” He went on to explain that the program can be compared to a Running Start class that many students have already taken. The high school spots will not take away seats from PSU students because they’re only available to high schoolers on a space-available basis. 

Patten says that the program is not driven by revenue, but rather by the goal of giving students an opportunity to take classes they wouldn’t normally be offered in high school. “Students today have a wide range of interests and in some cases, their local high schools may not offer a class in a particular area or their curriculum may only go to a certain point,” he said. “This program allows students to explore those interests or go beyond the normal course offerings at their local school.” 

Even if there is the potential for revenue, it will most likely not impact tuition because the program is in its pilot year, but Patten still believes that it will have a positive impact on the community. “For some students, they’ll be able to see new people in their classrooms and engage them with discussions about topics that are of mutual interest,” he said. He also stated that he thinks the integration of high school and college students will allow them to see from each other’s perspectives. 

Anyone interested in this program is welcome to contact Patten at rwpatten1@plymouth.edu, or by calling him at 800-842-6900.