The Mycenaean

Wake Technical Community College offers high school students a brilliant opportunity to earn college credit with their Career and College Promise (CCP) program.

This program allows high schoolers to take online classes at Wake Tech and transfer these credits to the college they attend. Students also receive a GPA boost if they do well in their CCP class. Usually an A in a Wake Tech class adds a 5.0 to a student’s high school GPA. These classes are free for high school students.

The program is unique and beneficial for college-bound students to take advantage of. However, there are some issues that come with the CCP program that are challenging for high school students to deal with.

Pathways

When students register for CCP, they choose a pathway to take classes in. Students can pick a College Transfer (CT) pathway or a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway. Students can register two pathways at most: either one CT pathway and one CTE pathway, or two CTE pathways. 

Students can only take classes within their registered pathway, and completing classes in a pathway allows students to work towards earning a degree in that subject area. This system is a good way to ensure students are not taking random classes, but is confusing to deal with. 

I had some pathway struggles of my own. I planned to register for a Biology course. However, registration for the Biology course I wanted was not open to the pathway I was in, even though the pathway listed the course as an option. I had to take another class, and I will have to add a CTE pathway to be able to register for Biology in the future.

Before registration began, I had no idea my chosen pathway would make it so difficult for me to take the course I wanted. I would advise any CCP student to look through all of the pathways thoroughly and plan out a way to take all the courses you want, well before registration opens. 

Taking CCP as a 9th or 10th grader

Students in 9th and 10th grade have to provide additional information in their CCP application to prove they are qualified to take college-level courses. 

I took a CCP course as a 10th grader, and I had to go searching for documents from seven years ago, with regards to my elementary school AIG testing. The school also has these records, so if you do not have the documents, reach out to your counselor. I also had to provide my PSAT score and get a recommendation from the Dean of Students, Mr. Greene.

Once I registered, I had to meet with a Wake Tech academic advisor before I could register for courses. These meetings were hard to get, and by the time I’d had my meeting, many courses were filled up.

Any 9th or 10th grader wanting to take CCP classes should plan far in advance if they have a specific course they want to take. Some courses fill up quickly, and the registration process takes longer for underclassmen.

Bureaucracy

Wake Tech deals with so many students, both high school and adult. Managing so many people is a challenge, and Wake Tech handles it well. They have an email (ccp@waketech.edu) for CCP students to ask questions, and have virtual and in-person advisors.

Many high schoolers are not used to having to go through the system to receive help. Dealing with Wake Tech was my first real-world experience working with a bureaucracy. It taught me how to communicate effectively with adults to solve problems, and how to work with restrictions with regards to classes available to me.

I also learned the benefits of having an actual conversation with someone, instead of talking over email. I once emailed CCP asking if I could register for a specific course, and they told me I did not have the necessary prerequisites. I then made a virtual advising appointment to speak with someone. The advisor provided me with a form to prove that I did have the prerequisites and could take the course. 

Wake Tech receives thousands of emails, so sometimes getting on the phone with someone, or even talking in person, can lead to solutions that would not happen over email. CCP students who have an issue should definitely meet with an advisor if email does not work.

Wake Tech’s CCP program can definitely present obstacles, but it is still very much worth it to participate. High school students are lucky to have a chance to take college classes, with the only cost being a little bit of frustration.

Self-registration for Spring 2025 CCP classes is open until December 1.