How do I apply to CMC?  When should I apply ?

What are CMC's entrance requirements?

  Does CMC offer tutoring or special help?

When is the deadline for applying for financial aid?

  Do I have to take placement tests?

  What degrees does CMC offer?

What is the difference between an Associate degree and a Bachelors degree?

  Will all my CMC credits transfer to four-year schools?

  Do I have to finish my Associate Degree before transferring?

  How many credits do I need to be considered a full-time student?

What is the average class size at CMC?

When is the last day I can withdraw from a course and get a tuition refund?

When is the last day I can withdraw from a course and not receive a grade?

  Is there anything special I should do when I think I'm ready to graduate?

And the inevitable question ... How much does a season pass cost and is there a student discount?
 

How do I apply to CMC?  When should I apply ?
 

• First, complete a CMC Application for Admission. If you are already in our six-county district, you can pick one up at any local high school or at any of the fourteen CMC locations.  If you are contacting us from out of the region, you can receive one by either calling the Admissions Office at 1-800-621-8559 or by downloading an application from our Admissions web page.

  There are no application fees or deadlines.  You may apply at any time but we encourage early application.
   

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What are CMC's entrance requirements?
 

• CMC is an open-enrollment institution, meaning that any student, regardless of preparation levels or previous academic experience, will be given the opportunity to study and learn in a college environment.  Enrollment into Core courses and many other academic courses, however, do require proof of adequate skill levels.

  Recent ACT and SAT scores are not required for admission but we do request them since they can help us advise you appropriately when available.  Likewise, application essays and reference letters, while not required, are appreciated.

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Does CMC offer tutoring or special help?
 

• Yes.  Student support services such as tutoring, exam proctoring and small study groups are available through the Learning Lab at each campus.  These services are free to students with documented learning disabilities, students enrolled in developmental or review courses and students who have been referred by their instructors because of below average grades.  The Learning Lab also offers assistance in developing personalized educational plans that take into consideration any other special needs you may have.

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When’s the deadline for applying for financial aid?
 

• CMC does not have an official financial aid application deadline but applications received before March 31 will receive priority consideration for the next academic year.  You may apply for financial aid at any time, however.  We generally tell students that it will take 6-8 weeks to complete the application process, so obviously you must plan ahead if you want your financial aid awards available to you at registration time.  Retroactive awards can be made if you are registered and you complete the application process after the semester has begun.

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Do I have to take placement tests?
 

• In most cases, yes.  To help us advise you into classes that best suit your abilities, we offer placement testing in the areas of writing, reading and math.  You can also demonstrate your preparation levels in these skill areas with above-average scores on your ACT or SAT exams, by having completed college-level course work in Math or English at a previous college or by being awarded credit in Math or English through the CLEP or AP exam programs.  This would excuse you from the corresponding parts of the placement tests.

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What degrees does CMC offer?
 

• Colorado Mountain College is a junior college and offers two-year degrees called Associate degrees.  Our degrees fall into two general categories - academic programs and occupational programs.

  Students choose our academic degrees, which we usually refer to as our "transfer" degrees, as preparation for transfer to a four-year school.  They serve as the first two years of a four-year college degree.

  Our occupational degrees prepare you for entry-level employment in a wide variety of skilled occupations.  Through them, you can learn the specialized skills required for today’s job market.

  Check out the links to our online catalog or talk to an academic advisor to compare the advantages of each.

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What’s the difference between an Associate degree and a Bachelors degree?
 

• An Associate degree is a two-year college degree that typically requires between 60-65 semester credits (or 90-98 quarter credits) to complete.  A Bachelors degree is a four-year college program that requires between 120-130 semester credits for completion.  Our academic "transfer" Associate programs - the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees - are the first half of your Bachelors degree.  Our occupational Associate programs - the Associate in Applied Science degrees - offer career-oriented skills and knowledge which can eliminate the need for a four-year degree before entering the skilled job market.
   

 
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Will all my CMC credits transfer to four-year schools?
 

• With careful course selection and adequate advising, you can be assured that all the credits you take at CMC will transfer.  Your advisor should have course equivalency guides to most of the four-year colleges in Colorado which eliminates all the guesswork from course selection.  He or she can also give you sound professional advise about transferring out-of-state.

  Not all CMC courses are intended to transfer, so if that's a concern to you, it’s important to determine the transferability of a course before registering.  Courses that are unlikely to have an equivalent at a four-year school generally do not transfer.  These would include development or preparatory courses, personal interest classes and occupational/jobskills courses.

 
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Do I have to finish my Associate Degree before transferring?
 

• You may choose to transfer your credits at any time -after one course, after one semester or after degree completion.  There are advantages to staying at CMC until you complete your degree. If you are planning on transferring to a Colorado college, for example, completion of the Core Curriculum Requirements at CMC guarantees, in most cases, that the Core will substitute for the general education requirements at the Colorado four-year institution.  In addition, students who graduated from a local high school may qualify for a special transfer grant upon completion of an Associate degree and transfer to any four-year school.

 
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How many credits do I need to be considered a full-time student?
 

• Twelve credits per semester is the minimum number of credits you need to be considered full-time.  In most cases, twelve credits will satisfy the full-time enrollment criteria for programs such as financial aid, on-campus housing, health insurance and veterans’ benefits.  The average credit load for an undergraduate student, however, is fifteen credits.  In order to stay on track in completing a two-year degree in two academic years, you must average fifteen to sixteen degree-applicable credits each semester.

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What’s the average class size at CMC?
 

• Colorado Mountain College is known for its small, more personal classes.  The average class size is about twelve students. You will seldom find yourself in a CMC class with more than twenty students.  Occasionally,  our popular introductory courses at the three residential campuses may be scheduled in classrooms that hold forty to fifty students, but that's a rare occurrence.  If circumstances allow, we would rather plan more sections of a course with smaller class limits than one large class.

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When’s the last day I can withdraw from a course and get a tuition refund?
 

• You may receive a tuition refund after dropping a course if no more than 15% of the class meetings have occurred.  For a semester-long course, this will normally be during the third week of the semester.  If you drop before the refund date, your academic transcript will not show that you ever registered for the course.  Check the “Bulletin”, the semester’s schedule of courses, for the listed "refund date" of the course in question.  That is your deadline for getting a refund.
   

 
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When is the last day I can withdraw from a course and not get a grade?
 

• You can drop a course and not receive a grade up until75% of the class meetings.  For a semester-long course, this will normally be during the twelveth week of the semester.  After the refund date for the course, a “W” will appear on your academic transcript that indicates that you withdrew from the course.  This will not affect your Grade Point Average in any way.  To find the exact deadline for withdrawing from a course, check the “bulletin”, the semester’s schedule of courses.

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Is there anything special I should do when I think I’m ready to graduate?
 

• During the semester before the semester in which you think you will graduate, meet with your academic advisor for a preliminary degree check.  When you have confirmed degree completion and the availability of your remaining courses, you must submit a Petition to Graduate along with a $20 graduation fee before the end of that semester.  Please check the CMC catalog for other requirements pertaining to graduation.
   

 
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And the inevitable question ... How much does a season pass cost and is there a student discount?
 

• It’s no secret - we’ve got some of the best skiing and snowboarding on the planet.  Major resorts, big mountains, deep powder.  Or if you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere and the small-town feeling for which we are also famous, you will find the “locals'” mountains like Howelsen Hill, Ski Sunlight and Ski Cooper more to your liking.  Season pass prices and discounts for college students and residents vary considerably from location to location, so check out your options.  One thing’s for sure though - regardless of the price, you won’t be disappointed.