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Fall 2017 (Left) These Hawkinsville High School students ride a bus to
Middle Georgia State’s Cochran Campus for dual-enrollment
classes. SHERON SMITH

Middle Georgia State is a
top choice of high school
students starting college early.

IT’S NOT AS THOUGH DESMOND TALTON
DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM BUSY.
In addition to his classes at Macon’s Westside
High School, where he is a senior, Talton
participates in the Beta Club and Technology
Student Association. He also plays right offensive
guard for the Seminoles. In the fall, football
practice consumes his weekday afternoons.
Yet the 17-year-old decided to take on even
more when he became a dual-enrollment student
at Middle Georgia State University.
“When I heard about dual enrollment, I just
couldn’t see myself turning it down,” said Talton,
an aspiring engineer who is taking Psychology
and College Algebra at the Macon Campus this
semester. “It’s a way to get started earning college
credits, and it looks good on your record.”
Middle Georgia State (MGA) is a popular
choice for students such as Talton who want to
start college before they’ve graduated from high
school. In each of the last two years, the number
of dually enrolled students at MGA has ranked
in the top seven of University System of Georgia
schools.
This fall, nearly 530 high school students are
taking classes for college credit at Middle
Georgia State. About 50 of those are residential
students at the Cochran Campus-based Georgia
Academy, an exclusive two-year program that
allows participants to simultaneously earn high
school diplomas and associate’s degrees.

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(Left to right) Among the students from Bibb County high schools
piling up college credit at Middle Georgia State before graduat-
ing from high school are Kaitlyn Johnson, Kristen Cohen, and
Desmond Talton. All three take courses at the Macon Campus.

MARYANN BATES

MGA TODAY 5