PROFILE: Honors Scholar Started UC Classes at Age 16

Jessica King of Northside got an early classroom experience at the University of Cincinnati when she was still in high school, and that’s why the Cincinnati Public/Virtual High School graduate decided that UC was the place to stay. “I didn’t want to apply anywhere else. I was happy being here.”

King, a UC Honors Scholar who’s double-majoring in Spanish and sociology, earned 43 hours in UC credit while she was still in high school through the Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP). “My high school principal had sent me this e-mail about the program. He explained that I could take classes for free and finish my remaining high school requirements that I needed in order to graduate. I was very indecisive about it all in the beginning, but then I thought it over and I decided to just go for it.

“At first, I was really intimidated when I first started classes in fall of 2002 because I was only 16. But once I got past that initial nervousness, I really enjoyed it.”

To enroll in the Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program, high school students must carry at least a 3.0 grade point average and be able to place at the college level on UC’s math and English essay placement tests. The deadline is coming up for interested high school students to apply to the program at UC. They must notify their school by March 31 and return their application information to UC by April 15.

Jessica now lives on the Honors floor of Daniels Hall and is a member of the Residence Hall Association and the Daniels Hall Association. The Cincinnatus Scholar and McMicken Scholarship recipient is a student worker in the office of the Honors Scholars Program, located in Swift Hall. She’s a member of the UC Spanish Club, Students of Sociology, Chi Omega sorority, Bearcat ROAR and is in the process of getting involved in more UC student organizations.

For students who qualify, Jessica says she highly recommends giving PSEOP a try. “It’s a wonderful way to start at the university. I learned what the academic experience of college was like last year. This year, now that I’m a matriculating student, I’ve become involved on campus and it’s been a completely new and wonderful experience all over again.”

Download an application for the Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program.