Do I have to pay anything to be in the program?  Are there any costs associated with the program?

Your Logan classes and all class materials for your Logan classes are free. The tuition for your Ohlone classes is covered by Ohlone. However, you are responsible for a small Student Activity fee each semester (so far, it seems to be about $30.00). You are also responsible for any textbooks or materials (including lab fees/art supplies, etc) for your Ohlone classes, just like any college student. You are also responsible for providing your own transportation to Ohlone. If you choose to drive to Ohlone, you must pay for parking. You can purchase a parking pass from Ohlone for the semester or pay for daily parking each time you are on the Ohlone campus. Some of our students commute to Ohlone by BART/bus and need to cover that. 

If cost is a concern for you, we recommend you stay in the traditional Logan program, where all classes and all materials are provided. Another tip for reducing costs is to check the required materials for each class you are considering taking before you sign up for it. Some classes may require more expensive textbooks and lab fees. Other classes may use minimal materials. We will teach you how to look up textbook and supply fees as you research classes to add to your schedule. 

Ohlone requires all students to be vaccinated to come to campus. What if I am not vaccinated?                                                If you are not vaccinated, you may be in the program but you will be blocked from registering for in-person classes on any Ohlone campus. You may still take your Logan classes in person. You will need to register for online-only courses for each of your college classes. Some students enjoy taking online-only courses. Some students did not enjoy virtual learning at Logan during the 20-21 school year.  If you did not like online learning, we suggest you consider that carefully before joining the program. Check Ohlone's website for updates: we believe this policy will be changing soon. 

I don’t drive. Can I still be in the program?

You have a few different options for taking your courses at Ohlone. You can arrange to take online-only courses, and log in from home to attend classes/complete coursework. You can also arrange to be dropped off/picked up from Ohlone by a family member. There is a bus that goes to Ohlone, so that may be an option as well. We recommend you consider this carefully. If transportation affects your ability to make it to your Ohlone classes, that may also affect your learning and grades. 

I can drive myself to Ohlone. What else do I need to know about transportation?

There is a fee to park on a college campus. You can buy a pass for the semester or purchase a less expensive daily pass each time you go to campus. If you park on campus without a parking pass, you will almost certainly receive a parking ticket. 

Where will my college classes be held?

Your college classes may be held at either of the Ohlone classes: the main Fremont campus or the Newark classes. Please make sure you check the schedule carefully when you are picking classes. You need to make sure you have time to attend your Logan classes until noon and can then commute to the appropriate Ohlone campus. You will need to leave extra time to park and walk to your class. 

If you choose online synchronous classes, your class will have Zoom sessions that you are required to attend online. You are expected to log in at a particular time and participate via the Zoom. 

If you choose asynchronous classes, you will not attend live sessions at all. Instead the instructor/professor will post work in Canvas that you are expected to complete on your own by the deadlines. 

How does attendance work for college classes? Is attendance required?

Each professor’s syllabus will detail the requirements for attendance for the class. For your college classes, you do not need to have your parents call you in when you miss class. However, you should check the attendance policy carefully. There may be minimum attendance requirements. If you miss too many classes, you may automatically fail the class or you may be dropped from the class. 

Please note:  If you do not attend classes during the first few weeks of school, you may be dropped to make room for students on the wait list. It’s especially important to show up for all classes, especially the first classes. We recommend that if you miss class, you email the professor to let them know and follow up on missing material or to reschedule missed quizzes/tests/labs. 

Your Logan classes will take attendance in the traditional way. We record attendance with Logan each period. If you are absent, your guardians need to email the Attendance staff at Logan. 

What is the difference between live online classes and asynchronous classes?

If you choose online synchronous classes, your class will have Zoom sessions that you are required to attend online. You are expected to log in at a particular time and participate via Zoom. 

If you choose asynchronous classes, you will not attend live sessions at all. Instead the instructor/professor will post work in Canvas that you are expected to complete by the deadlines. 

How does the math program at Ohlone work? 

Students take a Self-Guided Placement online which will help you understand which math class to enroll in next. Currently, our students are only allowed to register for classes that transfer to the CSU/UC systems. The expectation is that students will be ready to take Pre-Calculus or Statistics. If your next math course is Algebra II, we recommend that you enroll in that course at Logan 4th or 5th period. Please check with us to discuss different options for math. 

I just finished Geometry at Logan. The next class I would take is Algebra 2. However, when I tried to sign up for Algebra 2, MyOhlone says that class is not available to me. What should I do?

MyOhlone will only allow you to register for the math classes that are transferable to the CSU/UC systems. So you would need to select one of the math courses listed on the IGETC form. Please reach out to us to learn more about your options for math classes. One option is that you can enroll in that course at Logan 4th or 5th period.

Can I take English classes at Ohlone?

Yes, you can. You just need to make sure that the English classes you take are UC/CSU transferable. Remember that the English classes at Ohlone are college-level English classes, and you still have 1-2 years of high-school-level English classes to take. If English is a strong subject for you, you may be ready to take a college-level English class and you might do very well. If you have struggled with your English classes in the past, you might consider waiting until you have finished your junior and/or senior year English classes. 

In order to have access to enroll in an English class at Ohlone, you need to complete the Self-Guided Placement segment on Ohlone’s website. That will let you know if you are cleared to enroll in your college-level English class at Ohlone. We recommend you snap a photo or take a screenshot of the Self-Guided Placement’s recommendations for you. You can show this to an Ohlone Counselor to get cleared to register for those classes. After you complete your Self-Guided Placement, it can take a few days for a counselor to approve your placement. 

I have an IEP or 504 plan at Logan. What are some things I might need to know before joining College Connections?

It’s important to consider this carefully before you make any decisions about College Connections. 

Your IEP/504 will still apply to your 3 high school classes at Logan. Your Logan teachers will be given a copy of your current plan and can work with you to meet that. 

However, your high school IEP/504 changes when you go to college. You will need to set up a meeting with Student Accessibility Services at Ohlone College and send them a copy of your current plan. They will review the plan with you and then create a list of accommodations for your college classes. Please note:  your college instructors/professors will not be aware of this plan. You alone will have the access/authority to share those details with them. At the beginning of each semester, we recommend you meet with each professor or reach out by email to share details with them. Then, it will also be up to you to make arrangements for any of the accommodations/modifications listed in your plan. For example, if your college plan allows you to have extra time on exams, then you will need to email your professor before each upcoming exam to arrange for extra time. If you do not reach out to arrange this, you will not receive the accommodations. 

The other important change to note is that you will no longer have a Study Skills class with your case carrier at Logan. If your Study Skills class is an important and critical support for you, you might find it very difficult to lose this support. We suggest that you set up a meeting with your Logan case carrier and discuss the program to see what they recommend. We suggest you also discuss this carefully with your family/guardians. We have seen students with IEPs/504s thrive in the supported program of College Connections. It can be a great way to transition to the rigor of college classes with some support. Also, by going through the process of enrolling in SAS now, you will be completely set up for after you graduate if you continue on with Ohlone. However, we have also had students leave the program after finding that the workload felt unmanageable. It can be extra work to manage your own supports. 

If you need support in enrolling in SAS, Ms. Fenzl can help and can also sit in on the meeting with you. 

When I graduate, will I have an Associate’s degree?  Will I have completed the transfer requirements to transfer to a CSU or UC as a junior?

This really depends on how many semesters you spend with us in College Connections and how many college units you take each semester. 

For students joining us as seniors, it would not be possible to complete the entire IGETC/transfer plan in a single year as part of the College Connections program. Most of our students take 6-8 units a semester. Some students take up to 11 units a semester (however, that can be very challenging). 

Students joining us as juniors may be able to complete the transfer plan in the 4 semesters. Some students who come to us may have already received credit for an AP class, a dual enrollment class, or a summer class. However, you may need to add a class or two in summers to be able to do this. 

At this time, it appears that our UC systems still considers high school graduates as first-year freshmen for purposes of college applications. So, even if you have completed the transfer agreement, if you have not spent any semesters at community college as a graduated student, they will consider you in the pool of all first-time freshman applicants. Of course, having that many college classes on your transcript would be advantageous. But it doesn’t seem to move you into the pool of “transfer” students. In terms of getting accepted to one of the highly impacted universities with very low acceptance rates, it may be advantageous to stay on at Ohlone for an additional semester or year and then apply as a transfer student. You may want to meet with our Logan counselor or our EAOP counselor at Logan to discuss this. You can also try reaching out to the Admissions Office at a university you plan to apply to. 

I want to apply directly to a 4-year university during my senior year. Can I still do that even in College Connections? Or do I have to stay on at Ohlone?

Yes, you can absolutely still apply directly to 4-year universities during the normal application windows during your senior year. You are not required in any way to continue on at Ohlone until you are ready to transfer. If you choose to apply to universities, you will simply list the coursework you have taken at Ohlone as part of your application and then you will send the Ohlone transcript along with your Logan transcript. It will count as evidence of your college readiness. If you are accepted to a 4-year university, you can choose to attend that university. When you meet with your academic advisor for that school, you can share your transcript to see what kind of credit they will give you for the classes you have completed. It will be important to do this before you start selecting classes at your university:  you don’t want to accidentally take any courses that you don’t need to take. 

Ideally, your Ohlone courses will get you excused from some of the coursework at your university. It may also give you units toward your standing. For example, if you come in with enough units, you can be considered a sophomore and may be given an earlier "priority" registration date for selecting classes. 

When I graduate, I would like to attend a different community college that is closer to where I live or that has a program I am really interested in. Do I have to continue on at Ohlone or can I switch to a different community college?

You are not required to continue on at Ohlone after you graduate from Logan. Because you have been selecting transferable classes off of the universal IGETC/transfer plan, you should be able to continue working on your transfer requirements at any community college. Most community colleges open their application process in the spring of senior year. Apply to the community college that is a good fit for you. When you begin at that community college, we recommend you meet with an academic advisor/counselor to go over your high school transcript and Ohlone transcript. You want to make sure you don’t accidentally sign up for any requirements that you have already completed. 

Different community colleges may offer different programs that may be interesting or useful to you. For example, Chabot College has an established firefighting program. There is another community college in the Bay Area that offers pre-engineering courses. Ohlone College does offer the Ohlone Promise scholarship, which covers the cost of tuition, fees, and books for two years. A couple of our students received this scholarship, which means all of their community college work will be free.