I’m about to get my diploma early (at 16), and don’t have many higher-education options geographically, due to my age and incomplete transcript. Ideally, I’d like to double major in neuroscience and women’s studies and minor in linguistics (or possibly just double minor in the latter two). These concentrations and their intersections are where many of my natural interests lie. Linguistics is mainly a personal interest, but I really do believe that neuroscience and women’s studies will benefit me in my desired career of medicine. I also want to do pre-med. I know I’m presenting myself and aspirations in the realm of a long-shot, but is this all possible? I will probably receive an A.A. degree at Miami-Dade, then transfer to a university. I’ve perused the academic programs offered at Miami-Dade (and pretty extensively), and don’t see any of those majors offered or concentrations. Then again, I am extremely unfamiliar with how A.A. degrees and Bachelor’s-level degrees line up. Is my A.A. major required to line up with my Bachelor’s? Let it just be said that my goal here isn’t necessarily to finish my undergrad as early as I’m beginning it. I would also like to know which majors will most often or surely allow me to take classes in these subjects.
Best,
zadiesmithfan
my apologies for misplaced words in this post! I’m typing from my phone and wasn’t able to re-read until it had been posted. i should probably start placing this little disclaimer before each post. anyway, thank you in-advance for any advice or insight.
Many students earn an Associate’s degree that is not attached to a specific major. The best thing to do is to look at transfer entry requirements and graduation requirements for neuroscience and women’s studies majors at institutions that you hope to transfer into. Ideally, you can satisfy all of the General Education (distribution) requirements for a Bachelor’s degree in one of those majors, as well as the Freshman- and Sophomore-level courses for one of those majors.
It sounds to me like you are being overly-ambitious. You will find it very hard, if not impossible, to satisfy all of the requirements for a neuroscience and women’s studies double major, in addition to your pre-med prerequisites; not to mention a linguistics minor. I think that you will need to figure out how to rend down your plans to a narrower focus. Keep in mind that medical schools only accept students with highly outstanding academic records, so it will be important for you to focus on the requirements for one major and the pre-med prerequisites, and ensure that you get the highest grades in all of your classes.
I definitely understand. My top-choice college is very flexible with majors, and usually only requires 9-12 credits for the recognition of a major. Getting my diploma early, however, has set me in a brand new place. I haven’t come across the option of an Associate’s unaccompanied by a major for Miami-Dade. On the web site, it only mentions A.A. majors.
MDC has a major called “pre-Bachelor’s of Arts Associates.” See http://www.mdc.edu/prebachelor/.
If your goal is to get your General Education requirements done and want flexibility in doing so, this is the major you would choose. Many Community Colleges do not have double majors and if you get financial aid you can run into problems if you pick a specific major - say biology - and want to take lots of classes not in that major.
Are you saying you will be 16 sometime in 2016? Do you have to finish high school early? Why not delay high school graduation, take Dual Enrollment for the next 2-years at Miami-Dade? This approach would allow you to pursue your AA degree and have Miami-Dade School Board pay for all your courses (Tuition, Fees and Books). You can spend at least 1 year on Miami-Dade’s campus( without doing any high school courses). In Florida, the minimum GPA for Dual Enrollment is 3.0. Have you done the PERT Exam? If so, what were your scores?
EDIT: Are you exercising the 18-credit (as oppose to the 24-credit Option) Academic Challenging Curriculum Option?
^^I was going to say something very close to @Jamrock411 's comment. Don’t lose our dual enrollment eligibility if you don’t have to; it’s valuable in Florida.
http://www.mdc.edu/asa/hsopportunities.asp
Consider the “Early Admission” form of dual enrollment if you’re eligible.