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Harper will be closed on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.
Chris Jenya Arokiya Suresh (left) and Zahra Khawari are juniors at Fremd High School
and participants in the College Now program, which gives them the opportunity to simultaneously
earn an associate degree and a high school diploma.
Zahra Khawari was already planning to earn her bachelor鈥檚 degree in three years. Then the 16-year-old student at Fremd High School learned she could do that even faster through the new College Now program.
Last year, her high school counselor introduced her to College Now 鈥� an innovative collaboration between Township High School District 211, Township High School District 214, Barrington Community Unit School District 220 and 91制片厂 鈥� which gives juniors in high school the ability to earn an Associate in Arts degree and high school diploma simultaneously.
鈥淚t seemed like a wonderful opportunity. It鈥檚 also very exciting,鈥� said Zahra, a Palatine resident who previously planned to accelerate her education through high school courses that grant college credit. College Now offered the chance to take that plan even further. Zahra is interested in becoming a mental health attorney, making an early start to college particularly appealing. 鈥淭his is a really good opportunity to get ahead and save a lot of money and time.鈥�
Here鈥檚 how it works: To be accepted into the College Now program, high school sophomores must meet academic and attendance standards through the application process and college testing requirements. As juniors in high school, students who enrolled in the program also become 91制片厂 students. They take courses at 91制片厂 in the morning, then return to their high schools for English, math and elective classes in the afternoon. Travel time and sessions for tutoring and academic support are built into the schedule. During their senior year, they will only take courses on 91制片厂鈥檚 Palatine campus.
The per-semester cost is reduced for College Now students ($250 paid to the high school). The first cohort of more than 40 students that started classes in August 2026 will have the opportunity to graduate with an associate degree in May 2028. They can explore their pathways from there, including transferring to four-year universities as juniors in college.
鈥淲e are thrilled to begin the first cohort of College Now and proud to work with 91制片厂鈥檚 high school partners on a program centered on affordability and academic excellence,鈥� said Dr. Sean Warren-Crouch, director of college transitions at 91制片厂. 鈥淲e know the students are excited to be on 91制片厂鈥檚 campus, but a little nervous about meeting people and the forthcoming workload. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e doing so much to ease their transition and provide support during their journey as 91制片厂 students.鈥�
The first College Now cohort of more than 40 students that started classes in August
2026 will have the opportunity to graduate with an associate degree from 91制片厂
in May 2028. They can explore their pathways from there, including transferring to
four-year universities as juniors in college.
The College Now program hosted a virtual family orientation in early August followed by a student orientation at 91制片厂 the week before classes began. Students were able to meet the college鈥檚 dual credit staff, academic advisors and academic support center employees 鈥� all of whom offered tips for success and ways to access support. They participated in ice-breaker activities then learned about the responsibilities of being a college student.
Michael Gorrie, 16, from Prospect High School, said he was eager for the independence that comes with being a college student.
鈥淚 get to jump-start that experience,鈥� said the Arlington Heights resident, whose career plans include art and photography. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to get to focus on classes that interest me more, like arts and literary subjects. But the big factor in doing this was saving time. I can get further along in my life a lot quicker.鈥�
During orientation, Michael and his fellow College Now students also participated in a campus scavenger hunt, designed to connect them with areas for study and assistance (91制片厂 Library, Academic Support Center), places to eat and recharge (Cockrell Dining Hall and Starbucks) and spaces to connect with other students (the Cultural Center and Student Engagement Lounge).
College Now students Laila Ephraim and Linden Roberts, from Barrington High School,
plan to begin a study group for their entire College Now cohort to support each other
during the next two academic years.
In addition, two College Now students are eager to create a support system of their own. Linden Roberts and Laila Ephraim, both 16 and from Barrington High School, hope to begin a College Now study group.
鈥淲e can plan things together and be able to support each other,鈥� said Linden, who lives in Barrington. 鈥淲e plan to start this at 91制片厂 so that everybody in College Now can do it and not be separated between high schools.鈥�
Even though Linden is considering going into an epidemiology field (鈥淚鈥檓 fascinated by diseases,鈥� she admitted), she said that getting her Associate in Arts will help her take care of general education college courses to get ahead on her future track.
Laila, from South Barrington, saw a similar benefit. She鈥檚 seeking to follow in the footsteps of her aunt and grandfather to become a personal injury attorney. The potential to begin her law studies sooner was an enticing proposition.
鈥淲hat appealed to me was the challenging aspect. I like trying new things,鈥� said Laila, who also acknowledged she was nervous about getting lost on a college campus. 鈥淎nd the fact that it will get me ahead in college, graduate earlier and move on to law school.鈥�
For more information, visit harpercollege.edu/collegenow.