Application is open for Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School

Posted on by Polk Newsroom

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Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School’s application is open for students enrolling in the 11th and 12th grades for the 2020-2021 school year.

The initial application deadline is May 8, 2020. Acceptance letters will be sent during the week of May 18.  The application may remain open beyond the deadline until all available seats are filled.

Additionally, Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate is waiving the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) requirement due to delays in testing during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Students can learn more about Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate and apply online at www.polk.edu/gateway.

Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate was designed for students who may not fit the traditional high school mold, providing those between the ages of 16 and 21 with at least 10 high school credits the opportunity and the wraparound services they need to complete requirements for their diplomas while also earning college credits.

The school continues to achieve great success. The 2019 graduating class celebrated 116 graduates who:

  • Earned 42 college credits on average.
  • Received more than $2 million in scholarships to continue their education at Polk State College, all State University System institutions, and more.
  • Completed more than 13,000 community service hours.

Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate does not receive an annual school grade per its charter, but it does receive a school improvement rate, which has been the highest level of “commendable” for three consecutive years. Additionally, the school received national recognition from Achieving the Dream, Inc. in 2019 for exceeding all four benchmarks used to assess the performance of Gateway to College programs.