Graduate High School Early With Northgate Academy

Graduating from high school is one of the most exciting times in your life. You can’t help looking forward to all of the exciting opportunities that await you in the future. Many students don’t want to wait to put high school behind and graduate early, but the slow rate of a traditional school and prohibitive district policies prevent them from doing so. If you’re motivated to graduate early so that you can move past high school and onto your next life adventure, Northgate Academy is a great choice for you! 

With our accredited self-paced programs and a supportive Academic Success Coach to guide you, if you’re looking for a way to graduate early, we can help you set up a plan. NGA offers two different pathways for our students: the 21.5 credit Standard High School Diploma and the 24 credit Advanced High School Diploma. Both programs can be completed at your own pace and on your own time. The two 100% online programs include the following graduation requirements:

Standard High School Diploma

Advanced High School Diploma

4 English credits

4 English credits

3 math credits

4 math credits

3 science credits

3 science credits

3.5 social studies credits

3.5 social studies credits

.5 Physical Education

.5 Physical Education

.5 Health

.5 Health

1 Fine Arts (art, music, theater)

1 Fine Arts

6 additional elective credits

7.5 additional elective credits (must include 2 Foreign Language credits)

Total Required Credits: 21.5

Total Required Credits: 24.0

Transferring Credits

Because you can transfer up to 75% of your graduation requirements to Northgate Academy, if you’ve got enough credits from an accredited school or qualified homeschool, you can graduate by taking just the minimum 6 credits from NGA and be headed toward your future in no time. All students who wish to graduate from NGA have to take at least 1 English, 1 math, 1 science, 1 social studies, and 2 elective credits.  

Many students come to us with more credits than the necessary 21.5 and wonder what we will do with their extra graduation requirements. Because we understand that those credits represent time and effort you’ve made in high school, we transfer your core subject credits first to make sure potential college and universities get the full view of your high school experience and academic goals. We want you to be able to show them all that you’ve accomplished and achieved.

Who Can Graduate Early?

We do have some guidelines in place for students who would like to graduate early. For example, any students who is 17 or older can graduate early once they’ve earned their required graduation credits; however, students who are 16 need to follow a few extra steps. NGA allows 16 year old students to graduate early as long as they have either taken and passed the SAT with a 1280 or higher or taken and passed the ACT with a 23 or higher. Northgate even offers a live online SAT Prep Course running every 8 weeks to help you pass the test with a high enough score to graduate early. 

Because our Standard High School diploma requires 21.5 credits, if you enroll early on in high school or have plenty of credits to transfer, you can look forward to either finishing your high school diploma early by taking some courses during breaks between grade levels or enrolling part-time senior year. This flexibility is not offered in many traditional school setting, and it allows you explore other interests, enroll in early college courses while still living at home, or earn extra money to prepare for college. The advantages to a fully online self-paced high school program are abundant and clear.

So what does self-paced mean? We provide our students with a full 12 months to finish a grade level, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait that long. Once you have been enrolled in any class for at least 60 days and have completed all of the assignments in that class, you can take your final exam. What does that mean for you? Most students take about 3-6 months to finish a grade level, so if you are highly motivated and want to put in the time, you can move through a grade level much more quickly than in a brick-and-mortar school where you’re waiting on your peers to grasp concepts and teachers to post assignments. 

All of the work you need to complete is already laid out for you through our learning management system, so there are no surprises. You know what you need to complete the first day that you log into your classes. As long as you have completed and passed your coursework and finals and your grade-level tuition is paid in full, you can move on to your next grade level, no questions asked.

A Supportive Environment

How do students move through our programs quickly? Our courses are challenging but manageable, preparing you for whatever you plan to do after high school: post-secondary education, military service, or entry into the job market. However, because we have eliminated the busy work and distractions of a traditional school setting, you’ll find that you can finish them much more quickly. 

What happens if you get stuck? You can reach out to your instructor through email or, as a full-time student, you can access the unlimited online tutoring through Train the Brain that comes with your tuition. Train the Brain hires content area specialists who are available by appointment to tutor you in whatever course you’re struggling with. You sign up online, select your tutor online, confirm your appointment online, and then show up for the tutoring session online, too. You can access this amazing tool wherever you have a solid internet connection, so taking advantage of this service doesn’t have to cause a major disruption to your family’s busy day.

If you need help with any basic questions about the program, you can send a help desk ticket or reach out via phone or text, and our customer support staff will be happy to talk you through any confusion or concerns you might have.  

On top of all of those services, when you enroll, you are also connected with an Academic Success Coach who reaches out to you through email to give you some important tips for success in the program. Your coach is a great resource if you plan to graduate early. Upon request, they will work with you to devise a plan for your early graduation. All you have to do is send them an email to set up a good time to meet, and they’ll be happy to get to know you and understand your goals more clearly. 

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a student at Northgate Academy, please call us today at 800-339-7132 and a friendly admissions advisor can help answer any questions or set up a course demonstration or Enroll Now and start working toward your early graduation today!

Northgate Academy Welcomes Everyone

We have a unique community of online learners from all over the world. We have students that chose to attend high school online due to social problems, large classroom size, conflicting beliefs concerning the educational process, and bullying. Maybe you just don’t share the values taught at the public schools. We have athletes, performers, military and ex-pats students; as well as international students that have chosen to earn an American, accredited high school diploma online. Students love the ability to attend a Christian school online according to their schedule and pace.

If you are ready to get started, why not Enroll Now?