Middle College

Northwest High School

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The Middle College Program

The Middle College program (MC2) at NWHS is one of four programs in MCPS to offer students the opportunity to concurrently earn a high school diploma and an associate degree at the same time. The primary goal of the program is to make college a viable reality for all students. At NWHS we have partnered with Montgomery College to create a rigorous program of study with a focus in general engineering, business or general studies. The associate degree and the college credits are transferable to the University of Maryland system and many other colleges and universities throughout the country.

While starting college in high school can seem daunting, our program provides a transition to college through AP classes and support to help students be successful in their college classes. Students have a program advisor active with students throughout their experience.

In addition to our academic program, we also coordinate extracurricular activities on campus to provide students with an opportunity to get to know one another.

Students apply for this program in the fall of their 8th grade year on the MCPS Common Application in Parentvue. Students from outside the Northwest high school cluster will be entered into an MCPS directed lottery. We have 32 out of cluster seats in our program each year. Students within the Northwest high school cluster will not be entered into the lottery and will be accepted into the program if they meet the minimum requirements. Current Northwest students may also apply during their first semester of their 9th or 10th grade year with our in-house application which open on this website in mid November. Students who apply during their 9th or 10th grade year will begin the progam in cohorted classes the following school year. Requirements for admission: must be in Algebra I or higher in 9th grade for General Studies or Honors Algebra II or higher in 9th grade for Engineering (engineering students must have completed algebra I and geometry in middle school), must have an overall GPA of 3.0 with no failures and must be willing to commit to the program schedule of courses through 12th grade.

Take a look at our Program

Students begin taking college courses in the Fall of 11th grade. College courses taught by MC professors are on our NWHS campus in 11th grade with students moving full time to the MC campus in 12th grade. Students have the option to attend MC summer school, but it is no longer required.

Our program offers programs of study in General Engineering, General Studies or General Business. The General Studies program has four pathways that students may choose from. In all of the pathways, students will work towards earning an associate degree by high school graduation. Students who are unable to complete the entire program by high school graduation have the option of attending MC after high school graduation to complete the associate degree or they may transfer credits earned to a university.

Programs of Study:

General Engineering
General Studies
STEM (sciences, technology, engineering & Mathematics)
HACL (humanities, arts, communication & languages)
SSAH (social science, administration health).
INTG Integrated studies (combination of two pathways above)
General Business

Requirements for General Engineering: Students must be eligible (have completed Algebra I and Geometry in middle school) and enrolled in Honors Algebra II, Honors Biology and Honors Physics in 9th grade, must score a 4 or 5 on all AP math and science exams and a 3 on all other AP exams to earn college credit towards the degree, must earn a C or higher in all college courses and must maintain a high school GPA of 3.0 with no failures. To earn the degree students must complete fifteen 200 level credits with MC including at least one in their core area of study. The engineering degree has some additional specific course requirements.

Requirements for General Studies and Business: Students must be enrolled in Algebra I or higher during 9th grade, take one AP class in 9th grade, earn a score of 4 or 5 on all AP math and science exams and a 3 on all other AP exams to earn college credit towards the degree, must earn a C or higher in all college courses, must maintain a high school GPA of 3.0 with no failures. To earn the degree, students must complete fifteen 200 level credits, one of which should be in her core area of study. In General Studies, students can choose a specific focus for these classes.

The Good News - Tuition is paid for

All MC courses taken during the regular school year are now paid for by MCPS as long as students are on track to finish the degree by high school graduation. For optional MC summer courses, tuition, fees and books are the student's responsibility.

Students who do not remain on track to graduate will be moved to our Jumpstart program in the summer of 11th grade, after AP scores are released. In the Jumpstart program, MCPS pays for two MC classes each semester. Students will have the option to continue full time at MC in 12th grade, but will be responsible for tuition, fees, and books for two classes.

Check out our sample course schedules below:

Sample General Studies/Business Pathway

Sample General Engineering Pathway