For Students

Don’t spend your first year at college playing catch up. Through an innovative and engaging learning environment, Bridge to College transition courses will prepare you for success in college-level work. With a Bridge to College course, you can avoid the costly burden of taking pre-college courses after you’ve enrolled in college.

Who it’s for

The courses are designed for any high school senior interested in going to college and wanting to get some focused preparation for being successful in college entry-level math and/or English courses. If you’re interested in Bridge to College Math, it’s important that you have taken 3 years of math, including Algebra II, even if you may not have done well in it.

In Bridge to College courses, students participate in dynamic learning environments aimed at helping them build the skills and knowledge they need to graduate ready for college.

How it works

Bridge to College transition courses are full-credit, one-year courses taught during the school day at high schools during senior year. Students who earn a B or higher in these courses can automatically enroll in college level math and English at participating Washington higher education institutions (currently the state’s 34 community and technical colleges and Eastern Washington University).

Interested? Ask your guidance counselor if your school offers Bridge to College courses.

Did You Know?

Once you’ve entered college, you may be required to take pre-college courses if you’re not ready for college-level work. None of the pre-college courses you take there will count toward college graduation.

If you enroll in college-level math classes immediately upon entering college you’re far more likely to earn a college degree than students who need to take pre-college courses first.

No matter your academic situation, Bridge to College courses can help you discover new ways to engage in learning—and be better prepared for college.

What you'll learn

Bridge to College English Courses

This course will get you ready for college by developing your skills in critical reading, academic writing, speaking and listening, research and inquiry, and language. You will:

  • Read complex nonfiction and fiction texts on important, current issues.
  • Evaluate the credibility of information, critique others’ opinions and construct your own opinions based on evidence.
  • Use strategies for critical reading, argumentative writing and independent thinking.
  • Develop essential habits like independence and persistence that will help you become a successful college student.

Bridge to College Math Courses

This engaging course will prepare you for non-calculus pathway introductory college-level math courses. The curriculum emphasizes modeling with mathematics and real-world applications; you’ll have lots of opportunities to practice skills such as problem-solving, persistence, and critiquing the reasoning of others.

Course content includes math topics you may have seen before in previous classes but addresses them in new and interesting ways. The course includes: algebraic expressions, equations, proportional reasoning and trigonometry, linear functions, systems of linear equations, quadratic functions, exponential functions, and summarizing and interpreting statistical data.