College can be a major leap, both financially and academically. For students in Macomb County, the Early College of Macomb (ECM) makes it smoother, offering high school students the chance to graduate with both a diploma and an associate degree — tuition-free.
Founded in 2010 as a partnership with the Macomb Intermediate School District, Macomb Community College and Macomb County School Districts, ECM is open to students from all 21 school districts in the county.
“We are very different from dual enrollment,” says Allison Roberts, administrator of the Early College of Macomb and the International Academy of Macomb. “We are an early success program; our students start college as full-time college students in their junior year. They graduate a year ahead of their peers from college.”
A structured 3-year journey
The program spans 11th, 12th, and 13th grades, giving students an integrated high school and college experience with strong academic and personal support.
- 11th Grade: Students take three classes at their high school and three at Macomb Community College. One class is Seminar, which is focused on college readiness and success skills.
- 12th Grade: Students split time between high school and college, students take two courses at both the high school and the college level. The Seminar course this year builds communication and leadership skills.
- 13th Grade: Students attend college full-time, completing four to five courses, including a Seminar course focused on career and life readiness.
“Through our program, we really teach students how to navigate and find success in college,” Roberts says. “It’s a cohort of students who are well supported.”
Real-world experience
Every ECM student completes 73 hours of job shadowing or field placement to help them explore careers and develop their interests.
“We want our students to find their passion in the workplace,” Roberts explains. “When they leave us to pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree, we want them to have narrowed down their career focus.”
Placements span dozens of fields, from healthcare and education to trades, criminal justice and business.
“It is important that students experience those worlds of work so that they have a firm foundation of where their path may take them,” Roberts adds.
How schools work together
Students enrolled in ECM are still part of their local district and can participate in sports, prom, graduation and other activities. They take college classes that fulfill high school graduation requirements.
“A lot of the classes they’re taking at the college level, they will get dual credit for by both completing their high school requirements and then getting ahead in their college classes,” Roberts says. “We work closely with counselors to help students meet both sets of requirements.”
Building independence and confidence
Beyond academics, ECM helps students build life balance during the transition into adulthood.
“Students love the independence of being able to leave their home high school earlier in the day to pursue goals outside of that realm,” Roberts says. “We want students to be mature, self-disciplined, motivated, career-focused and self-reliant when they leave us.”
How to apply
Students apply in their sophomore year, with applications opening in January and information nights held each November. Once accepted, students begin college classes in August.
For more information about the Early College of Macomb, including eligibility and application dates, visit ecmacomb.org.
This content is sponsored by the Macomb Intermediate School District. Learn more about living and learning in Macomb County at Make Macomb Your Home.
Find more articles like this at Metro Parent’s A Family Guide to Macomb County.
