Profile of a Typical Early College Student

UCAS is a publicly funded Early College charter high school designed to meet the needs of motivated high school students who are ready to begin a college education in a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) field. Because of this narrow academic focus, UCAS is not the best educational option for all students. Students who are heavily involved in extracurricular activities such as fine arts, music, sports, or drama will likely find that another Utah high school is better suited to provide their education.

Typical students who are successful at UCAS will have these characteristics:

• They have a strong desire to enter college and major in a life or physical science, technology, engineering, or math program.
• They have the ability and drive to work hard to accomplish their goals.
• They have a strong math foundation and have successfully completed their grade-level math course.
• They are able to read and understand the textbooks used in their high school classes.
• They are accurately express their thoughts in writing using acceptable grammar and punctuation. 
• They are able to ask good questions, understand and ponder responses, and actively participate in classroom discussions.
• They are able to focus on their education and have time set aside for the homework that will be required each night.
• They have successfully completed their high school courses up to this time and are on track for high school graduation.
• They have a high maturity and they will be able to interact appropriately with college professors and fellow students. UCAS students, although still in high school, will be expected to act like serious mature college students.
• They are willing to ask for and accept help from teachers, tutors, and others.
• They are academically honest. They complete and turn in their own work, give credit for others when appropriate, do their best, and work hard to learn.
• They are self-motivated and do not require repeat adult reminders regarding deadlines, assignments, and responsibilities.

If these characteristics describe you, we encourage you to contact the Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS).   We look forward to assisting you with your high school and college education.

New Student Criteria

1. Students who come from an accredited 9th or 10th grade program must be registered for and complete the entire full year of the 9th or 10th grade (typically 6 to 8 credits per year) before entering UCAS. All credit and -class deficiencies should be corrected before school starts and verified by a report card or transcript. Students who enter UCAS with less than 6 to 8 accredited high school credits may not be on track to complete the Associate Degree.  Students who come from a non-accredited high school, homeschool, or who do not have 6 credits per year earned for the 9th and 10th grade, must be age appropriate for the grade entered. UCAS will not accept students who have accelerated more than one school year ahead of their age appropriate class. For those wishing to accelerate up to one hear ahead of their class, please see Policy CF Forms A and B.
2. All students must be current on their immunizations as per Utah State law.
3. UCAS will not enroll students for a partial schedule while they attend another public school. All UCAS students must carry at least five credit-producing classes each semester. Seniors taking 12 UVU credits or more are considered full time students. UCAS offers a limited number of on-line and packet program options for students with unique needs. Students who use the Statewide Online Program will be required to drop one UCAS or UVU class for every online class taken under the Statewide Online Program as per state law.
4. UCAS will not accept new 12th grade students.
5. Students wishing to attend UCAS must be able to write papers at a college level and be able to solve problems appropriate for their grade level. Students must also be willing to do homework every evening, ask questions and be responsible for their actions. 
6. Since the vast majority of UCAS classes are either on-campus or concurrent enrollment UVU classes, students must be ready to do college level work. UVU concurrent enrollment classes require a 3.0 GPA minimum. See scholarship eligibility if your Cumulative GPA is below a 3.0.
7. Because on-time attendance is critical in science labs and college classes, UCAS students should be prepared to attend school on time, every class every day. Attendance must always be above 90%. Students and families should be aware that UCAS holidays might not coincide with local school district holidays.
8. UCAS will pay the tuition and fees for UVU on-campus classes if the student is eligible and if the class meets certain requirements. The three areas considered for student eligibility are scholarship, attendance, and citizenship. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA. UCAS will not pay for UVU classes if the student is not currently being successful.

Any variation from the above polices must be approved by the UCAS Administration. Variances will be considered for unusual cases only.  

High School Courses to Complete Prior to coming to UCAS

Upon entering UCAS as a ninth grader, a student should have completed at least one course through an accredited program. It is recommended that the course be in a core academic area such as Science, English, or Math.

Upon entering UCAS as a 10th grader, a student should have completed the following courses through an accredited program:

• 1.0 Credit of 9th Grade English
• 1.0 Credit of Secondary Math 1
• 0.5 Credit of World Geography
• 0.5 Credit of World Civilizations
• 0.5 Credit of Computer Technology or Exploring Computer Science
• 1.0 Credit of Science (usually Earth Science or Biology)
• 0.5 Credit of PE skills
• 0.5 Credit of Fine Arts (Art, Choir, Band, etc.)

If you have not completed one or more of the above courses please talk to your counselor today about options and suggestions specific to your situation.