crestThe Collegiate Academy at Lake Nona High School, developed in partnership with Valencia College, is an accelerated academic program that provides Lake Nona High School students with a variety of opportunities that range from experiencing one or two college-level courses to completing a full Associate in Arts degree (A.A.). The level of participation in the Collegiate Academy is determined by student goals and academic needs. The programs offered will encourage a combination of Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment credit that allows students to build a highly competitive academic program that challenges them beyond the opportunities currently available through traditional high school programs. This unique partnership with Valencia College provides Lake Nona High School students with unprecedented educational opportunities.

Collegiate Academy Degree Track

In this branch of the Collegiate Academy, students have the opportunity to begin working on a degree track that can begin as early as 9th grade. Motivated students in these degree tracks have the opportunity of graduating from LNHS with not only a high school diploma but also an A.A. degree. The A.A. degree has two possible curricular focuses: Science/Medical and Business/ Finance. Participation in the Collegiate Academy is by application, and students must meet the following minimum requirements: unweighted GPA of 3.0 in high school coursework, GPA of 2.5 in college coursework, a minimum PERT/SAT/ACT score, and a completed application on file with a guidance counselor including a written statement of goals for participation in the program. Upon admission into the Degree Track Cohort, students and parents will be encouraged to participate in counseling sessions designed to determine the student’s academic goals and to develop a program to achieve those goals. Throughout participation in the program, periodic testing required by Valencia College and regular reviews of academic progress will determine continued participation opportunities. This program is designed with some flexibility to enable students to adjust programs to meet their changing needs and goals.

The Degree Tracks have been developed by aligning the courses with the common prerequisites from four of our state universities with the basic degree requirements for Valencia College. The four identified universities were chosen because they have medical schools, but other universities within the state may also offer the identified majors for which the degree tracks have been developed. It is important to know that the state universities do modify their common prerequisites, and it is necessary to revisit the degree track plan regularly to ensure that it is accurate for the target university program. The Lake Nona High School Guidance Department and Valencia College Student Services will work with our students to make sure that they are updated when changes to their programs are needed.

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