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Dual enrollment registration
Students are enrolled at Concord while the school helps coordinate college-course registration, placement, and transcript planning.
Academics at Concord
Early College Program for students ready to move ahead
Concord's Early College Program pairs CPS high school coursework with dual enrollment college courses through Orange County community college pathways. Qualified students can begin college-level work before graduation, build an official college transcript, and prepare for UC transfer or selective university pathways.
60+
Potential transferable college units through the full planned sequence
70
Potential college credits available through a full multi-term pathway
TAG
UC transfer planning for eligible students who meet course and GPA requirements
Program Snapshot
A high school program built around college credit, transfer strategy, and close support
Students remain part of the Concord Preparatory School community while completing approved dual enrollment college courses. The goal is to keep the academic experience ambitious, age-appropriate, and carefully supervised.
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Official college transcript
Completed college courses appear on a college transcript with course units, cumulative units, and college GPA for future transfer review.
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UC TAG and transfer planning
Advising connects course selection to UC TAG requirements and broader transfer options at UC, California, out-of-state, and international universities.
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Small-school accountability
A 1:6 faculty-student ratio, advising, study support, and family updates help students manage a college-level schedule without losing high school structure.
Program Pathway
Two entry points depending on readiness and transcript timing
Advanced Standing
The sequence can position students to enter university with advanced standing
The exact standing depends on the receiving university, major, completed units, grades, and transfer rules. Concord's role is to keep the course plan coherent and make the transcript strategically useful.
Receiving university policy
Major fit
Transferable units completed
College GPA and grades
Enter after grade 10
- End of grade 10: enter the program and register for approved college coursework.
- Grade 11: complete first-year college coursework while continuing CPS high school requirements.
- Grade 12: complete second-year college coursework and prepare transfer applications.
- After graduation: use the high school diploma and college transcript for UC or university transfer review.
Enter after grade 11
- End of grade 11: enter the program and confirm college-course readiness.
- Grade 12: complete first-year college coursework alongside remaining high school requirements.
- Post-grade 12: complete additional college coursework and finalize transfer applications.
- Transfer stage: move into a UC or selective university pathway based on completed units, GPA, and major fit.
Curriculum Overview
High school requirements and college units are planned together
Course planning starts with the student's incoming transcript, graduation requirements, college placement, and intended transfer direction. The sample plan below shows a representative pathway and may adjust each year based on course availability and student readiness.
High School Transcript
CPS courses remain part of the graduation plan
- Core high school credits are confirmed against each student's transfer-in transcript.
- Depending on transfer credits, remaining CPS coursework may include Chemistry, U.S. History, and AP Biology.
- Dual enrollment courses can also support high school credit where approved.
College Transcript
College courses generate an official college record
- All completed college courses and course units are recorded.
- Cumulative college units and college GPA are tracked for transfer planning.
- Transferable units can be used in UC and other university transfer applications.
Sample Term Sequence
Sample college courses in a planned pathway
Courses may change by year, placement, partner college availability, and transfer goal.
Term 1
- ENGL 1 Reading & Writing3
- MATH 7 Calculus I5
- ECON 1 Microeconomics3
- AHIS 1 Western Art History3
14 units
Term 2
- ENGL 2 Critical Analysis & Writing3
- MATH 8 Calculus II5
- ECON 2 Macroeconomics3
- ACCTG 1 Financial Accounting3
14 units
Term 3
- BUS 1 Business Introduction3
- HIST 12 Modern Western History3
- ETH ST 1 Ethnic Studies3
- ACCTG 2 Corporate Finance & Managerial Accounting5
14 units
Term 4
- EANTHRO 5 Biological Anthropology Lab4
- GEOG 1 Physical Geography5
- MATH 54 Statistics3
- ACCTG 1 Financial Accounting4
- AHIS 2 Western Art History III3
19 units
From Coursework To Transfer
The planned sequence is built to support real transfer outcomes.
Units, course order, GPA planning, and transfer timing are mapped early so students can move from dual enrollment into UC TAG and broader university transfer planning with clearer direction.
Transfer Outcomes
A pathway shaped around UC TAG, UC transfer, and selective university options
UC TAG can be a major planning route for qualified California community college students. Eligibility depends on the campus, major, required courses, GPA, timing, and application rules.
UC TAG Campuses
6 campuses
Guaranteed admission pathways when requirements are met
TAG planning is structured campus by campus, with advising centered on major fit, GPA thresholds, course sequencing, and application timing.
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UC Irvine
- UC Santa Barbara
- UC Davis
- UC Riverside
- UC Merced
- UC Santa Cruz
Additional Transfer Targets
8 examples
Selective universities included in broader transfer planning
Advising may also include selective transfer destinations when students are building a broader application range.
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UC Berkeley
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UCLA
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UC San Diego
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USC
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NYU
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Columbia
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University of Michigan
- Boston University
Why Bands Matter
That is where advising bands become useful.
After possible transfer destinations are mapped, Concord narrows them into realistic target ranges based on GPA, English readiness, and overall transfer strength so families can plan with clearer expectations.
Advising Bands
College targets are matched to GPA, English readiness, and transfer strength
Advising is organized into target bands to help families understand expectations, but final admission decisions are made by the universities.
A Band
Top 30 university targets
GPA 3.8+ with IELTS 7.0+ or TOEFL 100+
Examples include Columbia, UCLA, UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, USC, University of Virginia, Carnegie Mellon, UNC Chapel Hill, Brown, UC San Diego, and UC Irvine.
B Band
Top 31-50 university targets
GPA 3.5+ with IELTS 6.5+ or TOEFL 90+
Examples include UC Santa Barbara, NYU, UC Davis, Wisconsin-Madison, Boston University, UIUC, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue, and Lehigh.
C Band
Top 51-80 university targets
GPA 3.0-3.2+ with IELTS 6.5+ or TOEFL 85+
Examples include Florida State, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Minnesota, Stony Brook, UMass Amherst, Wake Forest, Brandeis, UC Merced, and UC Riverside.
Admission Requirements
Students need language readiness, academic fit, and placement review
Student Profile
The right student is ambitious, organized, and ready for feedback
Early college coursework can save time and strengthen transfer options, but it requires maturity. Concord evaluates whether the pathway will genuinely help each student.
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Submit application materials
Families submit the Concord application, recent academic records, and available English testing so the team can review fit for college-level work.
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Complete interview and assessment
After materials are reviewed, students complete an interview and a written or placement assessment to confirm readiness and support needs.
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Confirm entry pathway
The academic team decides whether the student should enter immediately or build readiness first before beginning the early college sequence.
Planning Considerations
Families usually decide by looking at readiness, workload, and transfer value
Early College works best when a student is not only academically qualified, but also ready for a more independent pace, college deadlines, and a transcript that will stay with them through future applications or transfer planning.
Concord helps families look at the full picture: remaining high school graduation requirements, language readiness, university targets, and whether college coursework will create genuine long-term value rather than unnecessary pressure.
- Academic pacing: confirm that CPS graduation requirements and college classes can fit together without creating an overloaded schedule.
- Advising and transfer strategy: map course choices to university goals, transferable credit, and the student's likely major direction.
- Family planning: review admissions timing, partner-college logistics, and total tuition or course-fee expectations before committing to the pathway.
Decision Fit
The strongest Early College decision is strategic, not simply accelerated
For some students, starting earlier creates momentum and transfer flexibility. For others, waiting until readiness is fully established leads to stronger outcomes. Concord evaluates fit before recommending speed.
Advising works best when pacing, transfer goals, and readiness are reviewed together.
Early College Fit
Ask admissions whether Early College is right for your student
Admissions can review your student's transcript, language readiness, grade level, and college goals before recommending an Early College pathway.