Application information

Application dates for 2009-2010 academic year: OEC is presently accepting applications for up to 60 incoming second-year (10th grade) students, and a limited number of third-year (11th grade) and fourth-year (12th grade) students! Students must be residents of Oakland County. Please contact us directly at (248) 522-3540 to set up a visitation. Students who have already submitted applications will be contacted during that time period to arrange for an interview.

Looking for this year's application? You can download the 2009-2010 application packet here.

Latest news from OEC

Looking for the Career/School planning exercise? Follow this link.

Honors Convocation: OEC's Honors Convocation will take place on Wednesday, June 24, 2009, at 6:00 PM in J-306. Students earning academic letters, or being honored with other awards, are cordially invited to attend with their families. You should be receiving invitations in the mail soon!

End of year picnic: Special thanks to our End of Year Picnic organizers! We had a terrific time at Heritage Park. It was an amazing event--thanks for all your hard work! Pictures should be up shortly in the OEC Photostream area of this website.

Laptop purchase program: Students wishing to buy the Acer Aspire One netbook computer through the same vendor as OEC may contact John Holby at CDW-G at (866) 723-2651. Our configuration is the 8 G SSD Drive with Linux OS. We suggest upgrading the memory to 1G RAM.

World travelers: Congratulations to third-year OEC students Marissa Randel and Artesia Weeden, who have been accepted to the Confucious Institute's China Bridge Program! Both will spend two weeks in China, from July 14 to July 31, 2009. During the program, students will be studying Chinese language and culture (Paper-cut, calligraphy, brush painting, tea ceremony, martial arts etc.) in traditional classrooms, and participating in various sports and cultural activities (basketball friendly match, international students get-together, host family experiences etc.); they will also be experiencing for themselves various points of interest of China's long history, and viewing sites of natural beauty. Daily itineraries and curricula will be developed by schools and provincial departments of education.

Great news! OEC has been awarded a generous and substantial grant from the AT&T Foundation! This grant will be used to purchase cutting-edge technology, including a set of new netbooks, for use by OEC students and faculty. We are incredibly grateful for the AT&T Foundation's support of our school! More information will be forthcoming soon.

Interested in studying abroad in China? The application for the Chinese Bridge Summer Camp through the Confucious Institute at Michigan State University can be found here. Deadline is March 20th, 2009.

Congratulations to the Valentine's Day Dance planning committee and Mr. Heffelbower's Focus Class, who did an amazing job making the dance a night to rememeber. Way to go, everyone! Check out the end-of-dance video under "Recent OEC Video Feeds" for a terrific group video and photo.

Congratulations to fourth-year OEC student Victoria Greenstein and the OCC Forensics Team. At the Michigan Novice State Championships, Victoria placed 4th in Persuasion, 2nd in Program Oral Interpretation, and 1st in Duo. The college placed second overall, beating the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Wayne State University, Saginaw Valley State University, Northwood University, and a host of others. The college won the award for top community college. Congratulations!

Fourth-year student OEC Victoria Greenstein, back row, far right, celebrating at the Michigan Forensics Championships

Congratulations to third-year student Josh Finney, who won a $25 gift certificate donated by Best Buy of Farmington Hills for successfully completing OEC's Acceptance Awareness "Know Your Classmates" contest!

Interested in competitive speech and performance? Join OCC's Forensics team! Participate in events such as Informative, Persuasion, Dramatic Interpretation, Dramatic Duo, Prose, Poetry, After Dinner Speaking, and Impromptu Speech. Contact Professor Carole Bennett for more information, or visit the team's MySpace page.

Looking for ways to improve your performance in college coursework? Check out the ASC's Student Success Seminars!

Making a difference: OEC students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Michigan Student Caucus program, a statewide organization dedicated to representing the interests of students to our legislature. The program exists in partnership with the House Commission on Civic Engagement. A number of OEC students attended the Fall 2008 MSC Hearings in Lansing, and with the new session beginning in January, it's a good time to get involved!

Weather reminder: OEC follows Oakland Community College for closure alerts, not West Bloomfield School District. In general, in the event of inclement weather, OEC will close if OCC closes. In the event of a closure, we will send out an email alert via Edline, and post updates here as soon as they become available.

Attention parents: Report cards for high school classes will be posted electronically on Edline. College transcripts will be available online over the holiday, and will be added to the student's high school transcript after the first of the year. Students wishing to view their college grades may do so by logging on to OCC's online services site.

OEC students: please make sure your academic binders are up to date, including documentation of weekly supplemental instruction when appropriate. Remember, returned college assignments (except for assignments in ASC 1070) should be recorded, and included whenver possible. If you're not sure whether your courses require supplemental instruction, be sure to ask a counselor or administrator.

Tech talk: Our new OEC Wiki is up and running.

ASC 1070 students: If you're looking for notes on the class by Professor Nemitz on taking notes using the Cornell method, you can find it here.

Here is the presentation from this week's town meeting.

Check out OCC's Office of Student Life for ongoing campus activities!

Policy update: Starting February 16, 2009, OEC has updated policies with regards to student attendance and lateness to class. They can be found here.

High school course descriptions: Winter, 2009 high school course descriptions may be downloaded here.

Graduation requirements: The final draft of the OEC graduation requirements may be downloaded here.

OEC photostream (via Flickr)

About College Scheduling

OEC students wishing to look through the course catalog for available OCC classes for Winter 2008 may want to use this link, then click on "Search for Sections."

Third-year and fourth-year OEC students should have already set up their fall counseling appointments, including an appointment with an OCC academic counselor. Second-year students who are taking non-ASC courses must also set up counseling appointments. You may not schedule for college courses without meeting with your counselor!

Sample student schedules

One of the most common questions we are asked is, "What does a typical student schedule look like?" The answer is, there really isn't such a thing. By second year (tenth grade) for some students, and by third year (eleventh grade) for all students, schedules are highly individualized to allow for extensive college coursework. As a result, it's rare that two student schedules look alike. Many students opt to take coursework at non-traditional times, including evening and weekend courses. In creating their academic schedules, each student is counselled by high school and college counselors on an ongoing basis.

With that in mind, here are a few sample student schedules (courses in gray are college courses). With the exception of the ninth grade schedule, all schedules are actual student schedules from Fall 2008:

2008-2009 Calendar

The 2008-2009 academic calendar for Oakland Early College is now available for download. Please note that students will also be asked to attend an orientation session in August (dates will be announced soon). Also, remember that college courses begin on August 29th; students who are dually enrolling this year will be expected to be in attendance at that time.

Alternatively, you may view it here (please note that our activity schedule is also viewable via Edline):

Contact information

The main office phone number is (248) 522-3540.

Our mailing address is:

Oakland Early College
27055 Orchard Lake Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

Our fax number is (248) 471-9543.

Alternatively, you can contact us via email using the following addresses:

Overview documents

View a copy of a recent update on OEC, given to the WBSD Board of Education (January 2009)

Oakland Early College in the news

College coursework

As our students work towards their Associate Degree at Oakland Community College (and/or up to 60 transferable credits), they take a wide variety of courses. For the Fall 2008 and Winter 2009 semesters, these courses include (scroll to see full list):

About Oakland Early College

Oakland Early College (OEC) is an innovative partnership between the West Bloomfield School District and Oakland Community College's Orchard Ridge campus. OEC students (grades 9-13) attend high school on OCC's campus, and engage in an exciting college-preparatory curriculum taught by teachers from award-winning West Bloomfield Public Schools. A core element of OEC is dual enrollment in coursework at OCC. Students graduate with a high school diploma, innovative educational and professional experiences, and up to 60 transferable college credits or an Associate Degree in the field of their choice--all provided at no out-of-pocket cost to students and their families.

Students at OEC are encouraged to select specific areas of academic focus, and to work towards Associate Degrees in areas of study including (but not limited to):

  • Liberal Arts;
  • Fine and Performing Arts; and
  • Business and Entrepreneurship.

Our students come from all over Oakland County--from Milford to Royal Oak, from Southfield to Oxford. They join us from public schools, private schools, parochial schools, and homeschools. What they share in common is a desire for a rich educational experience that bridges the gap between K-12 and higher education.

OEC is committed to helping increase post-secondary access and opportunities for Oakland County students, and to improving the quality of education available to young people who may not have found their niche in larger, more traditional high schools.

You may download the application here.

Learn more about Oakland Early College.

More about OEC

OEC is a fully operational Early College High School, and the first and only Early College in Oakland County. (The school is part of a larger shift in K-16 education. There are several other Early Colleges in Michigan, including Genesee Early College on the campus of the University of Michigan-Flint and Mott Middle College on the campus of Mott Community College. Across the country, there are over 150 such schools.)

A major purpose of Oakland Early College is to increase post-secondary access and opportunities. As such, Oakland Early College has a special interest in meeting the needs of underserved students, including students who are the first generation in their family to attend college.

Our position is that students may be underserved in many ways. Some students are underserved by virtue of socioeconomic status or geography, or by being the first generation of college students in their families (research has shown that even academically gifted first-generation college students find college difficult to navigate). Some students may be academically successful, but have career interests and educational development plans that are simply not appropriately met by the courses of study offered at their home schools. Still others are being served adequately academically, but have been marginalized in their home communities, or have been impacted by family and/or life circumstances. Similarly, students may be underserved vocationally if their career pathway leads towards jobs or academic tracks which have not traditionally been open to them. Some students simply come from backgrounds where continuing educational opportunities are not readily available, especially in high-poverty areas. While Oakland Early College is open to any student capable of, and interested in, succceeding at the college level, the school has a special commitment in meeting these students' affective, support, and academic needs.

OEC will open in August of 2008. For the 08-09 school year, the school will accept applications from Oakland County students who will enter grades 10 and 11 in the fall of 2008. A number of seats will be reserved for West Bloomfield residents, with the remaining seats open to residents of other Oakland County communities.

Students at OEC will be encouraged to select areas of academic focus, including:

  • Fine and Performing Arts;
  • Business and Entrepreneurship; and
  • Liberal Arts

Areas of academic focus will be determined by each student's personal Educational Development Plan (EDP).

At full enrollment, the five-year Early College High School, will serve a total of 300 students (60 at each grade level). OEC will grow to three grades (10, 11 and 12) in the 2009-2010 school year, and will enroll students in grades 9-13 by the 2011-2012 school year.

Is OEC for me?

We believe a student's academic success is based, in part, on the "fit" between student and school. Traditional, comprehensive high schools are not for everyone. OEC is a small, innovative school that focuses on accelerating learning--for all students--in a close-knit, supportive environment.

The best way to know if OEC is for you is to visit with us, and attend one of our upcoming information sessions. However, a few questions to consider include:

  • Are you generally happy with your high school experience? Do you feel like you've found your "niche" there?
  • Do you generally feel like you've found your educational pathway, rather than floating through your course of studies?
  • Are you generally interested in what you're learning in school? Do you usually see a point to your studies?
  • For the most part, do you feel like you're ready for college academically? Do you feel as though you'll be ready to "navigate" college?
  • Are you generally reaching your potential as a student and learner?

If the answer to any of these questions is "no," it might be worth investigating OEC further. Come visit us, and spend a day with one of our students!

OEC isn't a traditional high school. It's also not an "alternative high school," at least not how people usually talk about alternative education. OEC's goal is to reinvent school to meet the needs of Oakland County high school students as part of their K-16 pathway, while giving students a head start on college. Small class sizes, dual enrollment opportunities, and innovative educational experiences are what we're about. (We're especially interested in helping to increase post-secondary access and opportunities, and in improving the quality of education available to students who are being underserved by traditional, comprehensive high schools.) We believe all students can learn, and we expect success--for all students.

Download the 2008-2009 OEC application.

OEC is now accepting applications from Oakland County residents, regardless of district of residency, for 10th and 11th grades for the 2008-2009 academic year! You may download the application here.

Questions about the application process should contact Gary Weisserman, Head of School, at (248) 522-3540, or by email at oec@westbloomfield.k12.mi.us.

Oakland Early College shirt

Spirit wear: Our new Cougar shirts are available (and easily customizable) for purchase online!

You can even customize the back of the shirt to add your name or graduating year, or choose a different shirt and/or item!

Valentine's Day Dance planning committee, February 13, 2009

Physics lab, February 7, 2009

Third-year student Taylor Beakley talks about her first semester at OEC.

Third-year student Simone Cameron talks about her first semester at OEC.

Third-year student Brianna Adkins talks about her first semester at OEC.

Third-year student Markell Metoyer talks about his first semester at OEC.

Third-year student Jasmine Moore talks about her first semester at OEC.

Fourth-year student Joe Edwards talks about his first semester at OEC.

OEC Chemistry students in Ms. Maddalena's class doing their first lab experiment of the year.

Brad Sobie performs a drum solo at a Friday Jam Session at the OCC Studio Cafe.

Jessica Lee works on a composition at a Friday Jam Session at the OCC Studio Cafe.

Question: How does OEC work?

OEC is a five-year Early College High School for Oakland County students grades 9-13. Students attend high school on the campus of Oakland Community College's Orchard Ridge Campus, with a college preparatory high school curriculum taught by teachers from award winning West Bloomfield Public Schools. Once students achieve mastery within a specific domain, usually by 11th grade, students begin dually enrolling in OCC courses for high school and college credit. The goal is for students to graduate with their high school diploma, awarded by West Bloomfield Public Schools, and up to 60 transferable college credits and/or their Associate Degree from Oakland Community College.

Question: Who is OEC for? Is this just for kids who already do really well in high school?

No. In fact, the history and research regarding Early College High Schools clearly show that these innovative schools are especially effective in meeting the needs of underserved students. A major purpose of Oakland Early College is to increase post-secondary access and opportunities. Our position is that a student may be underserved in many ways. Some students are underserved by virtue of socioeconomic status or geography, or by being the first generation of college students in their families. Others have career interests and educational development plans that are simply not addressed by the courses of study offered at their home schools. Still others are being served adequately academically, but have been marginalized in their home communities, or have been impacted by family and/or life circumstances. Similarly, students may be underserved vocationally if their career pathway leads towards jobs or academic tracks which have not traditionally been open to them. Some students simply come from backgrounds where continuing educational opportunities are not readily available, especially in high-poverty areas. Oakland Early College has a special commitment in meeting these students' affective, support, and academic needs.

Question: Is this a private school? How much does it cost?

No--OEC is a public school, open to students from throughout Oakland County, Michigan. There is no special out-of-pocket cost to students and their families--even for college coursework.

Question: How do I apply?

The OEC is open to all Oakland County residents. It is a selective program--not for prior success, but for appropriateness of placement. Applicants must:

  • be "on-track" for high school graduation (e.g. have earned at least 7 credits as an entering 10th grader and, at least 14 credits as an entering 11th grader), or be able to demonstrate unusual, one-time circumstances that can be reasonably addressed;
  • have an EDP that demonstrates a genuine interest in a career pathway related to Fine and Performing Arts, Business and Entrepreneurship, or the Liberal Arts;
  • have earned at least a 1.9 GPA in their previous school; or are able to clearly demonstrate the ability to succeed at the collegiate level;
  • have experienced no significant truancy problems;
  • have no history of serious disciplinary infractions; and
  • be reading at grade-level (as demonstrated on standardized test scores).

Also, prospective students must submit an application with an essay and recommendations from two teachers and a counselor, and be interviewed by staff at the OEC to demonstrate that they:

  • have the desire to attend a small high school;
  • have the potential and capability to successfully complete rigorous high school work and college courses;
  • are willing to become motivated learners in a new and exciting environment; and
  • have a genuine interest in the career pathways of focus at the OEC.

Students must also take appropriate placement tests, as determined by the college and OEC.

Question: Can I play sports at OEC?

OEC students may be eligible to try out for sports teams at West Bloomfield High School. However, academic schedules take priority, and for many students, it is possible that conflicts could exist.

Question: What about other co-curricular activities?

Each year, OEC will seek to design high school-level activities that meet the specific interests of its students. Students will also, however, have extensive student life opportunities through Oakland Community College, as appropriate.

Question: Is transportation provided?

Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from OEC. SMART has a stop right at the OCC campus, which makes it an attractive option for many students.