I want to extend congratulations to FLI students (Jenner Beutel, Andrew Byrd, Nathan Henault, Matthew Kasper, Danny Moss, Jacob Nelson, Alexander Portnoy, and Zach Thornton). Each student has decided to take a concurrent enrollment course via the University of Connecticut’s Early College Experience Program (ECE). Course offerings include Elementary Discrete Mathematics, Introduction to Comparative Politics, and Introduction to International Relations. Amy Bigelow and Fahd Rafiq, both certified as UConn ECE instructors, are the teachers.
The Early College Experience is the oldest and one of the nation’s most extensive concurrent enrollment programs. Students experience the rigor of reading academic journal articles, writing college-level papers, completing problem sets graded for accuracy and thoroughness, and taking more substantive exams. Besides the academic skills developed by taking these courses, success in these classes will enhance students’ college applications. Our graduates can then submit their UConn transcripts wherever they enroll for college. UConn boasts an 87% credit transfer success rate because of the ECE’s academic excellence. The benefits of securing college credit while at Franklin Academy might include skipping an introductory course during freshman year, taking a more advanced class sooner, freeing time for an internship or study abroad option, or choosing a reduced course load.
There are also some more immediate advantages. Our seniors and postgraduates discover the realities of collegiate level academic work while at Franklin Academy. We offer these classes on our campus, taught by instructors the students know and trust. Finally, there is no additional fee to take UConn ECE courses; our inclusive tuition fee covers all costs involved.