Get Set, Go! And You Already Have the Lead by Daniella Maldonado

When I first got the acceptance letter from the ACE Plus program in the mail, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was feeling moderately confident about getting accepted into the program, but I did not actually expect it to happen. When I saw the words “Congratulations Daniella....” it meant that I can finally say “I am a high school student and a college student!” Earning college credit as a junior might not seem easy or even possible for some people, but it can be done by applying to the right programs. Achieving a College Education (ACE) is two-year scholarship program in which they help high school juniors earn college credit. This program helps students earn up to 24 college credits, as well as learning skills and help with development opportunities for growth. Although selection is competitive, with an approximately of 30% of all applicants getting selected as well as credits not being transferable out of state, it’s still worth the shot to have a back up plan since students know they'll be receiving great benefits, preparation to college, and the chance to have a full experience before actually going off to college.

            Applying to be part of the ACE Plus Program for either Glendale Community College (GCC) or Phoenix College can be the one big step into taking a direction towards your University or College of your choice. The college that I go to is Glendale Community College, which offers great benefits aside from earning free college credit. They offer free access to the computers and the gym, participation in clubs and the chance to get tutored one-on-one with an instructor, with the help of any core subject. GCC actually holds outstanding tutoring sessions after school for students who need the help, and its proved useful because when I needed help writing a paper for English 101, the instructor thoroughly went over my paper, explaining and pointing out the mistakes, which helped when rewriting my paper.  Additionally, this program goes to great lengths to try and help students by holding workshops and events as well.

            Furthermore, this program helps prepare students for the future and it gives students a glimpse of what the classes are like in a high level teaching manner. There are many great classes that students could choose from and it varies by which classes are open during the summer, fall, or spring semester. Some of the classes that students can take are Chicano Literature, Introduction to Psychology, World Religions, Introduction to Sociology, etc. Records have shown that more than 83% ACE Plus students who graduate high school go on to attend college while only 80% of students go on to attend a university, which is a great improvement since most of the students that get accepted into this program are students with low GPA's; thus, meaning that these students are getting a chance to get into a college and continue their education. This program also helps in a way that it prepares students for the work load, and difficulty that is about to come in the future. Having the opportunity to already be part of this program I feel like I would be more prepared than most students since I already know what is expected of me. Additionally, all the teachers treat their students as if their college students already, so by that have been said, teachers expect the best from their students, which is not a bad thing, since they expect them to put forth their best effort into the class.

            Moreover, the ACE Plus Program gives students an exceptional college experience and it gives students a chance to interact with many different people from other schools, which is one of the best things because you get to meet new people and work with them during the course of the program, although, they might not always be in your class. Getting the full college experience before actually going off to college is also tremendous because it helps students decide what they want to do after high school as well as get used to getting a lot of homework.

             Overall, I would definitely recommend the ACE Plus program to upcoming sophomores because its a prodigious opportunity that could really help in the future and it's helpful in the way that the teachers and counselors are willing to help you decide what you plan to do after high school. This program is also a chance to step out of your comfort zone and discover what you would like to study or major in.  Although some students plan on gong out of state, like me for example, this program still helps with preparation to college and getting the experience of being a college student. So hopefully more students take advantage of this amazing opportunity and apply to be part of something remarkable.

ACE Plus Program by Diana Alvarez Chavez

           The  day of the ACE Plus Program orientation, I was sitting in the dentist waiting room, waiting for the dental assistant to call me in while my friends and peers, all sophomores at the time, were in the north gym. They were getting introduced and invited to the college preparatory program called “ACE Plus Program.” However, because of the fact that I wasn’t there, I didn’t get informed about this program till until about a week later. My counselor told me all the requirements for the application and all the positive aspects about the program. However, she didn’t inform me of all the details. She didn’t tell me that every Saturday I was going to have to get up to go to class for about two and a half hours long , that they’re was going to be times where we had to pay for our books and the lack of variety of courses.

                        My counselor, like any other would have done, began by telling me to apply for the  ACE Plus Program for the reason that it would introduce and put me into the college mindset earlier than kids in my grade. That way when it’s time for me to graduate and move on to any university it would be completely new and I would be more comfortable. She also elaborated about how it would be a whole year of college done before I graduate high school and most importantly, I would do this for free.  This of course sounded like an amazing opportunity that I wouldn’t want to miss so I applied and got accepted.

Now that I am part of this program I still agree that it is an amazing opportunity that shouldn’t be missed because of those reasons; however they are a few minor details that should be worked upon. For example, all of the students accepted into this program are all in high school and most of the students do not have a job, so no money for books. However, out of the courses the ACE Plus Program offers, they don’t have the full class set  of books needed for them. They have days that they set up before a semester to start  to hand out books, which don’t get me wrong I think it is a splendid idea, but it is on the basis of “first come, first serve.” This means that those students that weren’t able to make it or get one would have to rent one from the book store.  It isn’t cheap to rent a book. This is how I think the program has its imperfections because it only offers certain classes and it would only make sense and be fair if it had to offer all those books.

Another deficiency about the program is the few classes it has to offer are dreary and the variety of the classes are also minor. They do, however, offer  tons of  English courses, which is good for the average student, but  for students who take English AP classes, these courses are tedious to take. Because of this, I believe this program could be perfected by adding a few different courses like science or math because those aren’t offered through ACE Plus Program.

Although throughout this whole review I have been mainly criticizing and proposing for better service, I am really grateful for being accepted into this program because it allows me to be exposed to more of the lengthy essays that teachers say were required all throughout their college experience. It also exposes the students to future college/university students and the resources offered at colleges and universities like the writing center and the financial office. This program also prepares us to know that we are responsible for our own success.