Accelerate Courses & Graduation Requirements

Answers to common questions and other important information related to the the Accelerate program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn about the dual-enrollment courses, along with graduation requirements through the following FAQs. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Admissions

Q: I am having problems with the online application.  Whom should I contact?

A: Please send an email describing your problems to admissions@governors.school.

Q: My child is currently a junior, and I just heard about the dual-enrollment program.  Is it possible for him or her to join the program now?

A: Unfortunately, your child is no longer eligible for admission to Accelerate.  The program accepts new students only when they are rising sophomores (i.e., in the ninth grade).

Q: What constitutes proof of South Carolina residency?

A: For admission to Accelerate, applicants must provide a copy of one item from Group 1 and a copy of one item from Group 2 (see below).  If you have additional questions about proof of residency, please contact Lisa Bateman (843-383-3901 ext. 3982), Registrar.

Group 1 (copy of one document needed):

Parent/guardian’s current monthly utility/power bill showing correct name and address

Parent/guardian’s current monthly landline phone bill with correct name and address

Parent/guardian’s current monthly cable bill showing correct name and address

Group 2 (copy of one document needed):

Parent/guardian’s U.S. birth certificate

Parent/guardian’s South Carolina driver’s license

Parent/guardian’s birth certificate from U.S. territory

Parent/guardian’s current U.S. passport

Parent/guardian’s U.S. passport that has not been expired for more than 10 years

Parent/guardian’s certificate of naturalization

Front and back of the parent/guardian’s permanent resident card

Parent/guardian’s current monthly cable bill showing correct name and address

Courses & Requirements

Q: What is the difference between an Honors course and a dual-enrollment course?

A. The two types of courses differ in terms of the kind of credit received and the weight allocated in calculating students' high-school GPA.  Accelerate Honors courses resemble Honors courses at the students' home schools and are weighted identically to those courses; no college credit is received for Honors courses, even though Accelerate students are required to take Honors courses during their time in the program.  Dual-enrollment courses are those for which students simultaneously receive high-school and college credit. 

At students' home high schools, numerical grades (1-100) for dual-enrollment courses are weighted more heavily than those for Honors or College Prep courses.  In terms of college credit, students receive whole letter grades (A-F) for each class completed.  When a student has completed a dual-enrollment course, his or her numerical grade is sent to the home high school and the final letter grade is sent to the credit-granting institution of higher education.  Beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year, Coker University will be awarding credit for all Accelerate dual-enrollment courses.  See how courses are weighted in terms of students' high-school GPAs, please see South Carolina's Uniform Grading Policy.  To learn more information about Accelerate dual-enrollment credit, please visit the Dual Enrollment Engineering Programs page.

Q: Will my child's Coker University credits transfer to other colleges or universities in South Carolina?

A: Yes, they will.  For a detailed discussion of Accelerate's dual-enrollment agreement with Coker University, please see here.

Q: Is it possible for a student to take only one or two of the classes Accelerate offers?

A:  Once accepted into the Accelerate Gateway, all 10th graders are required to take all the courses. No optional electives are offered. Once the 10th grade year has been successfully completed, other options may be made available.  For more detailed information about required and elective courses, please visit here.

Q: Are electives offered and how are they weighted?

A: All of the Accelerate Engineering Courses (DE and Honors) count as electives on the high school transcript. The Dual-Enrollment Engineering courses receive highest weight similar to AP credit. Each semester beginning in the junior year, Accelerate students may be offered optional Engineering Electives in courses such as Electrical Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Biomedical Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Q: I have a question about one of my child's grades on a test or assignment.  Whom should I contact?

A: Please begin by contacting the student's instructor directly. Instructor names and contact information can be found in Canvas and on the syllabi. 

Q: My child is in Accelerate and is applying for a scholarship or admission to a university.  He or she needs a college transcript for the application process.  How do I obtain a transcript?

A: Accelerate does not possess or distribute official college transcripts, even for coursework completed through the program.  To obtain an official transcript, please contact the credit-granting institution (e.g., Coker University, Clemson University) directly.

District Partnerships 

Q: My school district is not an Accelerate partner district.  Can my child still take Accelerate classes?

A: Unfortunately, Accelerate does not currently admit students who attend schools in non-partner districts.

Q: How can my school district become a partner district for the Accelerate program?

A: If your district or school does not currently partner with GSSM to offer the Accelerate Virtual Engineering, please check with your child's home high school to see if sufficient interest exists for it to participate in the program.  For more information, please contact Dr. Zaria O’Bryant, Director of Accelerate Engineering and Synchronous Virtual Courses, at obryant@governors.school or 843-495-2483.

Saturday Labs & Summer Learning Experiences

Q: My child is unable to attend one of the scheduled labs.  What should I do?

A: Labs are a required component of Accelerate's curriculum, but we do understand that emergencies arise.  If your child is unable to attend a scheduled lab, please have your student notify the instructors as soon as they are aware that there will be an absence. They will need to provide a valid excuse from you in order to make-up the lab and assignments.

Q: My child is unable to attend a scheduled Summer Learning Experience.  What should I do?

A. All Accelerate students are expected to attend the Summer Learning Experiences. If there is a predetermined conflict, please notify the experience coordinator and copy the Director.