Over the past few months, Aragon students have been choosing and finalizing their courses for the next school year.
However, some students have opted for a different high school experience by enrolling in the Middle College program. The number of applications this year has increased by roughly 152% compared to the previous year, causing students within the San Mateo Union High School District to vie for the limited spots.
Launched in August of 1998, Middle College is a free, alternative education program in the SMUHSD that allows high school students to earn college credit while meeting their graduation requirements. Students take integrated courses along with multiple college classes of their choice at the College of San Mateo.
In the past 10 years, Middle College was able to support 90 students. However, for the upcoming year, it will accommodate a record of 100 students. One hundred and fifty eight qualified students applied this year, compared to the 70-90 students in previous years, so a lottery was used to determine the applicants accepted.
“Our lottery prioritized under-resourced students,” said Middle College Principal Don Scatena. “Students who [qualify for] free or reduced lunch got two opportunities to get their lottery number selected. All the other students got one opportunity.”
“I can get an education on my own terms [in Middle College]”
The 58 who were not chosen have been added to the Middle College waitlist, although the chance of acceptance is not high due to Middle College’s popularity. Students can be moved up from the waitlist if students from the original 100 chosen decline their positions.
In the past two years, Aragon has sent the largest number of students to Middle College compared to other schools in the District, averaging 35-40 students. This year, 29 Aragon students applied, while other schools have shown heightened interest, with Burlingame High School sending 33 students and San Mateo High School sending 31 students. Many students leave their home school in search of something greater or more suited to their needs.
“My interviewer mentioned that there were usually 80-90 kids applying, but this time around, there were [many] more,” said sophomore Adele Hsu. “Perhaps students were looking for a new environment or had heard about the college courses available and were interested in getting ahead. Because of the amount of students applying, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t get in.”
There are many reasons why students chose to attend Middle College rather than a more traditional, structured high school education system.
“I can take college courses that I am passionate about [but] are not offered at Aragon, and [get] the GPA bump in contrast to being stuck taking APs and advanced classes that I didn’t really want to take in the first place,” said sophomore Isabelle Ly. “I can get an education on my own terms.”
“It’s a lot more attention [and] a lot more focus on them as individuals”
Additionally, Middle College has enacted some new systems carried over from distance learning in order to better accommodate the students attending. One system in particular is the frequent meeting between students and their adviser.
“[Smaller numbers] allow us to know [which] students need support [and ensure they] feel supported throughout the process,” Scatena said. “Instead of waiting weeks to meet with their [home] school counselor, where the ratios are 400 or 500-to-one, [we have] a 30-to-1 ratio.”
This intimacy of the education environment is another key factor that attracts students, as a reduced student body size fosters a sense of community and ensures that every individual’s needs are met.
“Students identify that it’s the smaller learning community, the smaller ratio of staff to students, that really supports them,” Scatena said. “It’s a lot more attention [and] a lot more focus on them as individuals, and it also allows for students to customize their high school experience.”
For various reasons, from students striving for something new or personal academic ambitions, many have chosen to enroll in the Middle College program for the next year, ushering in a new year of students.
