Frequently Asked Questions

A Typical Middle College Day

Most Middle College students take their college courses in the morning. A student may have her first class, let's say Cultural Anthropology, from 9:00-9:50 am Monday through Thursday, then a one hour break, then another class such as Health from 11:00-11:50 Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Students design their own college schedule using the Foothill catalog and the guidance of the Middle College staff.

In the afternoon from 12:00 pm- 3:00 pm every Middle College student takes his or her core high school courses of English, Social Studies and one elective. The high school classes are taught on the Foothill campus. Students in good standing may take an evening class.

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Classes Available to Students

Students may enroll in any college courses as long as the following criteria have been met:

  • The student has completed any placement tests required for the course.
  • The student has fulfilled any prerequisites set by Foothill College.
  • The student is in good academic standing in both Foothill and Middle College courses. (Students on Academic Probation are restricted in their course options.)
  • The student is consistently working towards graduation.

Click here to visit Foothill's course schedule.

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The Cost of the Program

The program is actually quite a bargain! Middle College pays for all course fees and required books. Students are responsible for any recommended books that they may want, art supplies and lab fees. A note about books: if students do not return their Foothill books by the deadlines, they are billed for 50% of the original cost of the book.

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School Size

The Middle College is staffed to have a 29:1 student/teacher ratio. This translates into one class of juniors and two classes of seniors for a maximum total of 87 students. These small numbers give the program a small school feel with all of the advantages of large school facilities.

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Sports and Extra-curricular Activities

Middle College students are allowed to participate in athletics at their home school. The only conditions are that practices and games do not conflict with Middle College classes, and that students adhere to the attendance requirements set by the league. Students may also participate in after school clubs and activities if they do not conflict with their Middle College schedule. Students in good standing may also attend prom, dances and senior activities.

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Activities at Foothill

Foothill has a TON of different activities, all of which are available to Middle College students. A few of the activities that students have participated in in the past are:

  • Foothill Newspaper
  • Drama
  • Dance Productions
  • Chinese Club
  • Environmental Club
  • KFJC, the Foothill Radio station
  • Foothill Mentoring Program

Students may participate in Foothill athletics, however doing so would use one of a student's four years of athletic ability.

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Academic Services at Foothill

Foothill offers students access to the following:

  • Tutorial Center
  • Math Center
  • Computer Labs
  • Free internet access
  • STEP program for students with learning disabilities
  • Psychological services
  • Access to the Foothill Library
  • Counseling services for transferring to four year universities
  • Job placement
  • Career Counseling

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The College View

We have had very good responses from four year universities. Remember that Middle College students are building college and high school transcripts simultaneously. When students in our program apply to colleges, they can say, "This is how I preformed in college level work." What more could a college ask for? Colleges where our students have been accepted include:

  • All the UC Campuses
  • All the CSU Campuses
  • University of Washington
  • Carnegie Mellon
  • Cal Lutheran
  • University of Colorado
  • University of Oregon
  • Chapman University
  • Lewis and Clark
  • Reed

Approximately 20% of our students apply to four year universities during their senior year. About 40-50% of our graduates stay at Foothill to complete a transfer program.

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Where Diplomas Come From

Because Middle College is a program and not an independent high school, we cannot issue diplomas. All students in Middle College are still considered members of their home school, but are taking an alternative route toward graduation. Consequently, diplomas are issued by the home schools.

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Walking with Class

Students who are on track to graduate, may walk with their class if they choose. Middle College also has its own ceremony, which is great. Students may participate in both, one or none of these activities.

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How Credits Work

Students receive double credit for their college classes. This means that a 4 unit (in college "credits" are called "units") psychology class counts as 8 credits on your high school transcript. In this way it is possible to make up credits if you are behind, or move faster through the high school curriculum, or become more specialized in a particular field.

Keep in mind that Foothill College is on a quarter system. Each quarter is 12 weeks long. Therefore, if you took a 5 unit Beginning Spanish class you would earn 10 high school credits--that's one year of Spanish in 12 weeks! This may sound like a bargain, but you will actually cover a year's worth of high school Spanish in that time. The high school classes are run on the traditional semester system, and students earn 5 credits/semester.

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