FRCC launches guaranteed admissions transfer program with School of Mines
Dec. 9—Front Range Community College launched a new transfer program on Thursday where students can now earn guaranteed admission to the Colorado School of Mines.
The School of Mines, located in Golden, is considered one of the top engineering universities in the nation with 7,600 students and an acceptance rate of about 58%. FRCC students who complete required coursework, maintain a certain GPA and participate in co-curricular events will be guaranteed admission to Mines through the Mines Academy, a program partnership between the two schools.
"I'm so proud to say we're grateful to have this collaborative partnership with the Mines Academy," FRCC President Colleen Simpson said, adding, "We are giving our FRCC students a diverse pathway to earning their degree."
FRCC student Isabel Delgado is pursuing a bachelor's degree in engineering and physics and plans to apply for the Mines Academy. She said the program helps break down intimidating barriers to pursuing an engineering degree.
"As a first-generation college student, navigating the world of higher education is exploring uncharted territory," Delgado said. "It was intimidating. It was difficult. But this program is going to open up so many opportunities for people like me."
Paul Johnson, the president of the School of Mines, said the program provides an opportunity for students to come who couldn't before.
"I'm looking forward to welcoming the students to campus and shaking the hands of the students as they walk across the stage at graduation," he said.
FRCC student Steven Armenta said he's excited about the new opportunity. He's known he wanted to be an engineer ever since he was first exposed to it in seventh grade.
"With the introduction of the Mines Academy, I was able to see a very clear path to the requirements rather than just guessing and hoping that those requirements were met," Armenta said.
Engineering courses are offered at all FRCC campuses in person, and higher level classes are offered online. Through the Mines Academy, FRCC creates coursework designed to make the transition to Mines smooth. Students can save more than $16,000 by completing their first two years at FRCC.
Part of the Mines Academy Program includes FRCC students becoming involved in the Mines community before they transfer. While they're at FRCC, students will meet with Mines advisors and attend events like football games.
FRCC Engineering Coordinator Christy Wallert said establishing a sense of belonging at Mines is "critical" to students' well-being and to ensuring they're successful in obtaining their degree.
"They'll be part of the Mines community while still being at Front Range to make that transfer process more seamless and less intimidating," Wallert said.
Wallert said the goal is to recruit a diverse population into the engineering fields and give students who are starting out at the community college the same playing field as the students who are starting out at the university.
"When you have a diverse group of people working together to solve a problem, we come up with better solutions," Wallert said. "And in industry and the universities, we all recognize that we need a diverse group of students to work to solve the problems that we are presented related to sustainability, traveling to space, infrastructure — and we need to recruit that diverse population, and this diverse pathway will help ensure we do that."
