The Vermont Agency of Education has approved GoddardCollege for an Early College Program beginning in the 2015-2016 academicyear, making Goddard only the second private college in the state with thisenrollment option for high school students.Students who are at least 16 years old and enrolled full time in high schoolor in an approved home-school program may take a full year of college-levelclasses while completing their high school degree. Tuition is free toVermonthigh school students, though students are responsible for books and relatedfees. Funding comes from the Vermont Agency of Education.
“Goddard is the right-fit school for students who are independent thinkers,
driven, and interested in their community and the world,” said Gariot
Louima, dean of admissions. “Our students are passionate about the
environment, social justice, the arts, education—and they find the
individualized, student-driven aspects of our curriculum liberating and
inspiring. We’re excited to offer this unique liberal arts option to
Vermont high school students.”
Goddard is unlike any other college in the state of Vermont. Semesters begin
with an eight-day residency on campus in Plainfield, a 15-minute drive
northeast of Montpelier. During that time students work with faculty advisors
to plan their study, attend workshops, and connect with other students.
Following the residency, students return to their communities to work, to
conduct research, to make art, to volunteer. Each month, students submit
packets of work that connect their studies to their experiences in the world
and reflect on how those experiences shape their thinking and personal
growth. Students aren’t given letter grades and there are no traditional
“classes.” Students receive narrative evaluations of their semester’s
work. Those narratives are included in the official transcript.
Applicants to Goddard’s Early College Program must complete the Online
Application for Admissions, an essay describing their academic interests and
readiness, one letter of recommendation and a Secondary School Report, to be
completed by a guidance counselor. SAT and ACT scores are not required for
admissions, and there is no minimum GPA requirement as Goddard does not issue
letter grades.
Undergraduates have two options for fall enrollment. To start the fall
semester with theAugust 20residency, apply byJune 1. To start the fall
semester with theSeptember 17residency, apply byJuly 1.
Students who are interested in learning more about Goddard’s Early College
Program should visitgoddard.edu/earlycollegeor contact undergraduate
admissions counselor Jen Morin at[email protected]or
[email protected].
Burlington College is the only other private college approved for an Early
College Program in Vermont.
More About Goddard College:
Goddard College is an accredited, low-residency, non-profit liberal arts
college offering MA, MFA, BA, and BFA degree programs in Plainfield, Vermont,
and in Seattle and Port Townsend, Washington. Initially founded in 1863 as
the Goddard Seminary in Barre, Vt., the College moved to its Greatwood Campus
in Plainfield in 1938 and was chartered by founding President Royce “Tim”
Pitkin. In 1963, Goddard was the first U.S. college to offer Adult Degree
Programs. Goddard’s unique, student-centered model of education offers the
best of on-campus and distance learning, with one-on-one faculty advisor
meetings, rigorous academic experiences, and the freedom to study from
anywhere. More atgoddard.edu.