It is wise to begin making decisions about your future as soon as you are officially enrolled as a Messalonskee High School student. Many educators and business leaders in the state of Maine agree that complex and evolving skills are required for success in careers of the future. To that end, Messalonskee High School promotes postsecondary study, to include 2- or 4-year college, certificate programs, military service, and other rigorous career preparation as much as possible. State and national data indicate that all high school students need to maximize their opportunities for postsecondary preparation and training. We encourage students to exceed graduation goals whenever possible.
Admission to college
Each college has different admission criteria which varies depending on the institution, the degree program, and the degree length. It is very important to know and understand the admission criteria for colleges and universities. Most of this can be found easily on each college’s individual Admissions home page or by reviewing the admissions criteria for the college at the College Board website.
Note: See Suggested Courses for Postgraduate Study for a chart of suggested courses for 2 and varied 4 year colleges.
You can get ahead!
There are 4 different ways a MHS student can earn college credit while still in high school. They are: Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores, Dual Enrollment (offered through MHS and also through Mid Maine Technical Center), Early College Classes (through Tuition Waiver Program).
Advanced Placement (AP)
The College Board's® Advanced Placement Program enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Thirty-seven courses and exams in 22 subject areas are offered. Based on their performance on rigorous AP Exams, students can earn credit, advanced placement, or both, for college.
AP is an indication to colleges that a student has taken the most difficult class a high school has to offer. Exams are standardized and are graded on a scale of 1-5. Many colleges will award college credit to students who score a 3 or higher on an exam, though each college and each major has different guidelines for awarding credit.
Dual Enrollment
Dual Enrollment enables high schools to offer (and teach) college courses on a high school campus. High school teachers use specific college curricula and syllabi throughout the semester/year. For example, high schools currently partner with KVCC and/or Thomas College to offer courses such as College Algebra and College Composition, among others. Certain criteria are usually required in order for a student to enroll in these classes (grades, generally junior/senior status, testing scores, parent permission, etc.). All students taking Dual Enrollment classes must be approved in advance by the building principal. These classes count as both high school and college credit. They serve as outstanding opportunities for students to save time and money as they work toward college admission.
Current Dual Enrollment Courses (ask your counselor for an updated list!)
American National Government (Social Studies, Thomas)
College Algebra (Math, Thomas)
College American Sign Language (ASL III, KVCC)
College Composition (English, Thomas)
Introduction to Psychology (Social Studies, KVCC)
Principals of Anatomy & Physiology (Science, KVCC)
Early College Classes
Colby College, KVCC, Thomas College, UMA, UMF and UMaine offer our students a variety of opportunities to take college classes online or on campus tuition-free. These courses count as high school and college credit. Each college has its own procedures and prerequisites for enrolling high school students in college classes. Typically, high school students can apply for college courses in April (for the fall semester) and in November (for the spring semester).
Mid Maine Tech Center
MMTC’s courses are aligned with different Maine community colleges. Mid Maine Tech students can earn college credits and state/national certifications in each MMTC course, if a student meets certain grade/attendance guidelines.
Things to remember about college credits
Your college transcript becomes part of your permanent academic record.
You have to abide by college policies (including attendance, add/drop, etc.) including off-site and Dual Enrollment classes.
The student (not parent, not counselor) has to obtain his/her college transcript. Transcripts are personal property.
The high school has no leverage in working through disagreements in college coursework. The student must work through any problems/difficulties with the appropriate college personnel.
Responsibility and time management are KEY FACTORS for success in college-level courses.
Each college has its own way of evaluating and awarding college credit. GENERALLY SPEAKING, if a student earns a C or better, it is likely that the college credit will transfer to another college. It is the student’s responsibility to ask the college about this procedure.
They are FANTASTIC ways of saving money, saving time, and demonstrating college-level ability. Moreover, students who take college-level classes usually have positive experiences, which help “keep them moving” on/toward a college path.
Multiple Pathways for Learning
Most students will satisfy graduation requirements during a four-year experience; however, students may fulfill the requirements for a diploma in a time period, which is accelerated or lengthened, based on their individual needs. Students are expected to develop a proposed plan with input from counselors, teachers and administrators. The plan will be presented to a team comprised of a designated administrator and guidance counselor who will collectively decide upon all individual action plans for accelerated students.
A student who wishes to meet a credit requirement through an alternative method must have prior written approval as specified in this section. The student may participate in the next regular graduation ceremony following successful completion of graduation requirements.
A student may earn credit through distance learning/virtual courses provided the course is approved in advance by the School Counselor and Principal. Students who take external courses are responsible for the monitoring of and successful completion of each class. Messalonskee High School reserves the right to request progress reports from the external institution. A VHS/College course does not take the place of one of the four courses a student is scheduled to take at MHS.
A student may earn credits through independent study approved by the school counselor, principal, parent, student, and monitored by the teacher(s) of the subject(s) to which the independent study is related. An independent study option will be available when the student is enrolled in three other credit-bearing courses or with permission.
Academic Work Credit
Alternative education students may receive academic credit for on-the-job work experience at the rate of 1/2 credit for 100 hours of work, to a maximum of two credits for 400 hours. The work program will be graded pass/fail.
Transfer Students
The building principal and school counselor shall review and determine the awarding of transfer credits from other schools. Students who transfer to Messalonskee High School must attain satisfactory performance to meet the appropriate graduation requirements..
A student who has met the State and Board’s diploma requirements in fewer than four years of high school may be awarded a diploma. A student who leaves Messalonskee High School to attend an accredited, degree-granting institution of higher education may upon satisfactory completion of the freshman year be awarded a high school diploma, provided that the student has notified the principal per the graduation requirements (Policy IKF).