If you’re a high school student in Washington, you’ve probably heard of the Running Start Program. Born out of the 1990 Washington State Legislature’s “Learning by Choice” law, it provides juniors and seniors the “opportunity to enroll at certain institutions of higher education and earn high school and college/university credit.”(Running Start FAQ)

When I transferred to Shorecrest during my junior year, I was quite overwhelmed with everything. Having lived outside of the United States (let alone Washington State) for a decade after originally moving from Oakland, California, the sudden changes were disorienting. However, as I settled into my exciting new environment, I began researching potential scholarships and grants to help finance my post-high school education. That’s when I found out about the Running Start program. 

With the help of my counselor (shoutout Ms. McManus!), I promptly created an account through the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Between the Winter 2025 and Spring 2026 quarters, I have managed to earn 68 credits, putting me on track to finish my Associate in Business Direct Transfer Agreement this summer before attending UW Seattle in the fall.

Balancing my college coursework with full-time work has been challenging, but it is undoubtedly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. However, it does require a completely different mindset compared to traditional high school learning. Whether you’re trying to decide if this program is the right path for you or you’re already enrolled and looking for ways to maximize your learning experience, here are five tips that helped me a ton.

1. Master the Art of the Calendar

Oh, how I wish I knew this back when I was first taking college courses. When I lived in Mongolia, students were required to take 12 to 16 classes a year, yet I always managed to turn everything in without worry. After two quarters of relying solely on the Canvas calendar, I realized I needed more elegant solutions to reduce my constant fear of missing even a single assignment. Whether you use Outlook, Google Calendar, or a physical planner, make sure to read through each course’s syllabus and write down each and every notable date. Trust me, taking only thirty minutes to mark up your calendar before the quarter begins will save you a massive headache later on. Unlike in high school, college instructors and professors will not chase you down for late assignments. Carving out dedicated, uninterrupted time for studying, working, and resting is key to your success.

2. Keep One Foot in High School If You Can

When you take all your classes on a college campus, it’s incredibly easy to become detached from your high school community. I joined the Highland Piper staff around the same time I started attending Edmonds College, and serving as co-editor-in-chief has kept me connected to my fellow club members while providing a creative outlet that complements my academic goals. One of my few regrets after taking Running Start courses for nearly two years straight is that I didn’t get to know my graduating class as well as I would have liked. Don’t let that happen to you. Get involved in high school clubs or sports, and stay in touch with your classmates; that social anchor is much more important than I once thought.

3. Take Summer Classes!

The summer quarter is a massive, often overlooked opportunity. I understand that you may want to rest during summer break, but making noticeable progress toward your future bachelor’s degree is incredibly productive. Unlike normal quarters throughout the school year, which allow up to 21 credits, the summer quarter is limited to 10 credits. Rising juniors are able to take advantage of this as well. I’d advise enrolling in “easier” courses to get a feel for what college classes are like. Regular juniors/rising seniors are obviously applicable as well, and they may focus on tougher prerequisite classes for their desired degree without the distractions of a standard high school schedule. I didn’t take this route, and mostly chilled during the summer of 2025 while taking lighter coursework. Pick your own poison!

4. Advocate for Yourself

In the college system, you’re more often than not treated more like an adult rather than a high school student. This means you have to be proactive and stand up for yourself. If you’re struggling with a concept, email or message your instructor through Canvas, look it up on the Internet, visit office hours, utilize the campus tutoring center, or do anything to help you succeed in the long run. You cannot passively wait for a teacher to notice you’re falling behind, although some do, which I appreciate. This forced independence might feel overwhelming at first, but I think it’s more rewarding than punishing. From my personal experience, managing a household and living independently with my younger brother was enough to make me realize I’m not a kid anymore. The autonomy and communication skills I developed through taking classes through Running Start only accelerated that learning curve, and those skills will surely come into use later in life.

5. Meet With Your College Advisor

If your goal is to complete your Direct Transfer Agreement before graduating, or to make significant progress on the Associate’s degree while in high school, you can’t afford to guess which classes to take. High school counselors are fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but their help becomes limited when students have multiple community college Running Start options. When I first started planning my Business DTA, I thought I wouldn’t need the assistance of the Edmonds advisor. But there will inevitably be questions the college website can’t answer through quick Q&As. Whether you’re corresponding through Zoom calls, email, or meetings on campus, tell them your exact transfer goals early on and map out your quarters in advance.

The AP Debate

Offered by the College Board, AP classes and their standardized exams are by far the most popular way to earn college credits in the United States and Canada. The reality is, if you’re planning to go to in-state colleges like UW or Washington State, the credits offered generally weigh equally. But you shouldn’t take one over the other simply because it looks good on your transcript. It’s your choice, after all.

However, from my experience, prioritizing Running Start will save you a ton of time and money. Instead of spending an entire school year stressing over a single high-stakes exam in May to maybe earn college credit (which might not even count, depending on the 4-year institution you choose), you earn guaranteed college credit by passing your quarter-long, 10-week college course. Excelling in your Running Start classes and maintaining a high GPA shows colleges and universities that you can keep up with a fast-paced, rigorous environment from the start.

To get a different perspective, I asked my friend Daniel Kirkpatrick, a fellow Shorecrest senior and Track and Field Captain, who has primarily taken AP classes throughout high school (If you’re looking for recommendations, his favorite classes were AP World with Ms. Waugh, AP Lang with Ms. Haines, and AP Calculus BC with Mr. Gallagher). For him, the longer timeline of a high school is highly beneficial. 

“I think spending a whole year on a subject allows for more mistakes, and as a result, more learning, to occur. There is almost always a subject that confuses me, and being able to spend, say, a week on it rather than a single day sounds much better to me, personally. Besides that, I honestly couldn’t say there are any big advantages to spending a full school year on a subject.”

When it comes to the anxiety of the exams in May, Daniel mitigates the stress by participating in practice exams and studying with peers. He also acknowledges that the AP safety net provided by dedicated teachers isn’t entirely realistic for higher education. Daniel says, “Most college classes don’t have multiple books, videos, and websites dedicated solely to the course (I assume).” I think this shows how important different viewpoints are. Anyone who’s taken Running Start classes, even asynchronously, knows that the course instructor provides a lot (perhaps even too much at times) reading material and helpful videos within the weekly modules. 

The catch is that if you are gunning for highly selective, out-of-state universities, they’ll be much more picky about recognizing community college credits than AP credits. Make sure to research your target university’s credit transfer policies beforehand. Special thanks to Daniel!

Here’s a table comparing the two Shoreline District High Schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Shorecrest and Shorewood have 1565 and 1544 students, respectively. But in terms of Running Start student headcounts, the Scots are far behind the Stormrays. We did manage to edge them out slightly in the Summer 2025 quarter, but they completely dominate the regular school year. 

For more general logistics, you can read all about the Running Start program from the August 2023 “Running Start Frequently Asked Questions” PDF.

Take Advantage While You Can

As you can probably tell, I’m a big advocate for Running Start. If my future family lives in one of the states that offers this dual credit enrollment program (Washington, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Montana, & Illinois), I will definitely encourage my kids to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. 

Unfortunately, according to a recent KING 5 News report, state lawmakers have weighed $14 million in cuts to the program to help close a $2.3 billion budget gap without levying new taxes. To directly quote the article: “The proposed cuts include eliminating the summer semester and reducing the number of credits students can earn. Those changes could slow progress for the roughly 36,000 students currently enrolled and potentially force some to pay for an extra semester of college.”

Because of these potential looming changes, my advice is not to wait. If you are a sophomore or a junior, even slightly considering the program this summer or next year, talk to your counselor and jump in as soon as possible. Despite these scares, the program is still operating at full capacity. Maximize your tuition-free credits, because the opportunity to potentially earn a free Associate’s or half a Bachelor’s degree during your high school years may soon look very different.