Students at BHSEC are able to earn a tuition-free associate's degree in their final two years of school, in addition to their high school diploma. The school also maintains an agreement with Maryland's public colleges and universities to accept credits earned towards a bachelor's degree.[3] It also has made credit transfer agreements with a few private schools, including Goucher College.[4] Students can earn up to 60 credits under the partnership with Bard College.[5] The school's admissions process differs from the majority of high schools in Baltimore City Public Schools as student applications are not judged on the basis of middle school grades, attendance and assessments, but only on the basis of an interview and student essay.[4][2]
The school is one of several smaller programs now located within the campus of the former William H. Lemmel Middle School, a traditional public school that was closed in 2010.[6] Bard now shares the building with two other charters: the Angela Y. Davis Leadership Academy and the ConneXions School for the Arts.[7]