The Reynolds Early College Academy (ECA) provides outstanding Richmond Public High School students the opportunity to earn an associate degree while completing the requirements for their high school diploma. We have carefully selected and sequenced the college curriculum and courses in the program in order to satisfy the requirements of the high school diploma and associate degree at the same time.
Students apply to the Reynolds ECA in the 10th grade through their school counseling office, having enrolled in advanced high school courses in the 9th and 10th grade. After passing the required Virginia Placement Test in English, they begin college coursework for the associate degree during the 11th and 12th grade on the Downtown Campus of Reynolds Community College (700 E. Jackson Street).
Classes are taught by Reynolds professors and take place Monday through Friday from 8:30-11:10 am, after which students return to their zoned schools for the remainder of their high school classes. Transportation to and from campus and on-site breakfast are provided by Richmond Public Schools.
Reynolds College Policy (2-09) requires that all academy students maintain at least an unweighted, cumulative 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) after each semester in the program. Students must also pass all the courses in the program in order to graduate with the Associate Degree. For more information on the requirements for continuing eligibility, see the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Reynolds Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree through its Early College Academy site. As members of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), Reynolds also adheres to NACEP's rigorous standards of program quality for curriculum, faculty, and students.
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