As May rolls around, students are in the final processes of enrolling in Running Start. Running Start is a program allowing juniors and seniors in Washington State high schools to take classes full or part time at community or technical colleges. Students at CHS typically enroll for this program through local Wenatchee Valley College (WVC). Students who carefully balance their schedule can earn an Associate of Arts degree while earning their high school diploma. One draw of Running Start is the potential to save money on college tuition and accelerate progress through the educational system. Most Cascade students officially registered for Running Start on May 28th, but there is a process to complete before that.
“I had a conversation with Ms. Shafer, and she said to me that I should email the college my transcript as soon as possible, that way they can look over it and send me the application email back,” said Miles Porter (10).
To enroll, you must first be accepted to the program. Interested students must submit your transcript showing a cumulative 2.5 GPA, occasionally, students will demonstrate competence through other means - like state testing scores. These are just some of the ways students can qualify to enroll. “I had a conversation with Ms. Shafer, and she said to me that I should email the college my transcript as soon as possible, that way they can look over it and send me the application email back,” said Miles Porter (10).
Once you have sent your transcript to the community or technical college of your choice, the next step is to sign up for an informational meeting with WVC staff. This meeting is just to fill everyone in on the processes of running start and how the program works, and for any questions to be answered. This meeting is online through Zoom and is only for people who qualify for running start and have sent their transcript to the running start advisor. “Make sure to check in and talk with Ms. Schafer on where you are at on the steps, that way she can explain what to do next and help you along the way. Also to make sure to read the emails WVC sends you because they have detailed steps on what to do for each step,” suggests Porter.
The next step is to apply to Running Start. Once you have sent your transcript and attended the running start informational meeting, within two weeks, the college will send you an email back with additional steps for applying. For registration, you must get a ctcLink account and create an ID. Once you have created these accounts, you are almost done. From here, you will have to attend a new student advising session at WVC. This is where you will get information about the classes you should take, and the WVC advisor will help you queue classes and get ready for registration day. Once registration opens you will meet with your advisor and register for classes.
Even after registration, there are still a few more steps to complete. First, you need to complete an EV form, which you complete with your parent or guardian and your high school counselor – in this case Ms. Schafer.
After all this, you will be completed with running start registration. Keep in mind that this is all just for one quarter, and you will need to repeat most of these steps, besides applying, every three months.
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