Most students hear that college is the place where they will finally learn to think independently, to express themselves with confidence, and to have control over what they want to learn. But at early college programs such as Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) Bronx, that process begins before many students are even old enough to drive. That difference is what makes early college education so important.

At BHSEC, students are not only prepared for college in theory — they experience it every day. The school combines a traditional high school education with a free college program that allows students to earn an associate in arts degree in addition to their high school diploma.

We have seen the impact this model has on our borough — from both inside the classroom as a founding student, and from outside as a public servant and champion of the Bronx — and we know that when given the opportunity, Bronx students........

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