Early College

The Early College program at Fenway High School allows all Fenway students to take college courses and earn college credits for free while still in high school and to continue to be supported in their academic and college readiness skills.

Students can earn 12 to 60 college credits ( up to two years of college credits). Fenway offers state designated programs with the University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMB) and Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT). The college coursework is delivered a pathway or sequence that directly aligns with students’ career goals, at no cost to the students, and meets them where they are in their college readiness and career exploration journey.

Early College will not only prepare students for the college experience through a supported exposure to college coursework and campuses while still in high school, but will also help students to make a direct connection between college and career to impact our students’ choices about careers that lead to higher wage earning possibilities within our city.

Fenway’s Early College model offers a student-centered learning environment that has the rigor of actual college classes and the support for all students to succeed.

CES Schools share a set of common principles:

In Early College at Fenway students:
• Take at least one course a semester starting in 10th grade while still in high school
• Are taught by college instructors AND supported in weekly academic sessions by Fenway staff
• Build their skills and confidence in time management, self-advocacy, and college readiness
• Participate in advising in college readiness skills, career exploration, and college planning.

The advantages of Early College:
• The courses are FREE
• The credits are transferable to other colleges (earn 12-60 credits!)
• Gives students the experience of college coursework and to be on a college campus while in highschool
• Students who participate in Early College during high school are more likely to graduate college

Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT)

Entrepreneurship for Good Pathway
Students will take classes that are core to the Business Management degree at WIT. These courses will count towards elective credit at Fenway and as college credit at WIT and other colleges and universities.

• Ideal for students interested in business, finance, innovation, and solving the world’s problems.
• Coursework begins in the summer of 10th grade.
• Courses include: Principles of Marketing, Introduction to Management, and college-level math
• Students can earn 12 to 24 college credits through this pathway.
• All courses occur on the Wentworth campus, a 10 minute walk from Fenway High School.

Wentworth Auto-Matriculation Admission Policy
A Fenway student who has successfully earned credit in three Wentworth courses (C- or better), has at least a 2.5 GPA in Wentworth courses, completes the Common Application for admission and the FAFSA for financial aid for Wentworth, and graduates from high school is automatically matriculated into Wentworth as a first-year student the fall semester after high school graduation.

University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMB)

Health Science or General Studies Pathways
The pathway begins with students taking courses required for most majors at UMB to courses more relevant to the sciences later in the pathway.
While students can focus in health sciences in this pathway, much of the coursework transfers to other majors and thus students may take other elective courses for general studies as they progress through the program and shift career paths.

• Ideal for students interested in a career in the health field or who want exposure to a 4-year college.
• Coursework begins in 10th grade at Fenway High School, transitions to cohorted model with other high school students on UMB campus in 11th grade; and in 12th grade students are taking courses with college students on the UMB campus
• Courses include: Introduction to Psychology, English 101, Biology 110, and college-level math
• Students can earn 12 to 30 college credits through this pathway.
• Students take all their courses both at Fenway and on the UMB campus. BPS provides transportation to the UMB campus in Dorchester.

Year 13: Early College Promise: Pilot in SY 2023-24

Year 13 allows Fenway High School Early College students to earn up to 30 additional college credits for free at UMass Boston while continuing for a 5th year (“13th grade”). The benefits or Year 13 include:

• A year of courses at UMB for free: tuition, books, meal plan, transportation at NO COST
• Earn up to two full years of highly transferable college credit
• Access staff and resources from BOTH Fenway and UMass Boston in academic support, career exploration, and college enrollment.

For more information about Fenway Early College Program, please contact Michelle Cannon, Director of Early College, mcannon4@bostonpublicschools.org