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Apply for or Manage Classes with the ExplorEC Portal

Logo for ExplorEC Portal. Link to ExplorEC Portal (External Site)

To apply for Early College courses at Maine’s Public Universities you will need to create an account on the ExplorEC Portal (External Site). The ExplorEC Portal is designed to make it easier for students to sign up for Early College classes at all six of Maine’s Public Universities.

System Highlights

  • No paper forms
  • Students will start the process online with parent approval
  • High school counselors will review and approve student applications
  • Electronic signatures will be accepted
  • Transcripts not required (though may be requested in some circumstances)
  • Once students have an account in the system their information will be saved for future applications

Semester Registration Information

  • Applications open annually on
    • the first Friday in November for spring
    • the second Friday in February for summer
    • the first Friday in April for fall
  • Course limits per semester:
    • 2 courses in the summer and courses cannot meet during the same session.
    • 3 courses in the fall and spring

Important Notes:

  • General Processing:
    • EC Administrators at each campus may process applications at different times depending on their campus’s enrollment schedule.
    • Every completed application in ExplorEC is processed by an EC Administrator in the order it was received.
    • All matriculated college students have priority so spots in courses may not be available to early college students (regardless of the seat availability listed in ExplorEC).
    • Registration is not confirmed until the status in ExplorEC is changed to “Registered”. 
  • Excess and Duplicate Applications:
    • Excess and/or Duplicate applications will not be processed. Many students have been applying for multiple sections of the same course or multiple courses across campuses. When all applications are approved by the school, our staff cannot determine which course(s) take priority, leading to processing delays.
    • All excess and/or duplicate applications will be marked as “Application Not Processed – See Notes,” and a note will be sent via ExplorEC to the student and school counselor. Students will then be referred to Christy Alley, Early College Advising & Success Coordinator, for targeted outreach. 
      • Excess applications are defined as:
        • More than 2 courses in the summer semester
        • More than 3 courses in the fall and spring semesters
      • Duplicate applications are defined as:
        • Two sections of the same course at the same campus (e.g., 2 sections of PSY 100 at UM)
        • 2 equivalent courses at different campuses (e.g., one Pre-Calculus course at UMA and one Pre-Calculus course at SMCC).
  • Summer Semester:
    • For some campuses the summer schedule is not available until March. Students should check ExplorEC regularly for updated course offerings.
    • Students who are on track to graduate in the spring are not eligible for early college courses in the summer semester following graduation, regardless of course start date, high school graduation date, and/or high school diploma conferral date.

Online/On-Campus Application Deadlines

  • The deadline for completed applications is 1 week before the class start date, regardless of whether there are spots available in the class or the professor has given permission.
  • Completed applications are processed in the order in which they are received on a space available basis.
  • A completed application includes the following:
    • Student signature
    • Parent consent
    • School counselor or homeschool parent approval
    • Prerequisite documentation (if necessary) which could include:
      • Placement test results
      • Transcripts
        • if the course is completed outside of the UMS
        • if you are a first time home educated student applying for a UMaine course
        • if requested
      • AP exam results
      • SAT/ACT scores
      • Any other course specific requirements
  • We cannot make exceptions for incomplete or late applications. Applications that are not completed by the deadline will be marked “Late Application” in the ExplorEC Portal and will NOT be processed for enrollment. 

Concurrent Enrollment (CE) /Bridge Year (BRY) Application Deadlines:

  • Deadlines for CE and BRY courses are set by each individual campus office.  Please contact the campus you are working with for more details.

Training Materials:

Additional Resources:

Step-By-Step Guide for Students