I’m a teacher in a high school with many first-generation students whose families a) have very little money, and b) do not have any idea of how to shepherd their kids through the process of college admissions. I try to help as much as I can (helping students get fee waivers for SAT/ACT, sign up for the tests, providing feedback on essays, etc.), but there is no way I can help as much as they need. Our guidance counselors do a good job, but there are only a few of them and they’re often helping students deal with really big issues (family matters, access to social services, failing out of school).
I’m also the parent of two high-school age students who benefit (I think, anyway) from my “pushiness” in terms of thinking ahead about college. They’re pretty motivated students, but the testing and the app. process require a lot more advance planning than most teenagers understand. I only recently joined CC but I’ve been lurking for at least a year. Many of you are a gold mine of information–thank you for the help you’ve provided me and others. You’d be excellent candidates to do what these moms are doing at La Guardia, whether at a community college or a high school.
Thanks for the link to the article!Bravo to LaGuardia CC for allowing the volunteers to help out. Many institutions won’t let outsiders do this (and the colleges don’t have the manpower to do it themselves). In NJ, the transfer from CC is not seamless. This volunteer idea is something I am going to think about.
@PajarodelCampo, I completely agree with this statement: “the testing and the app. process require a lot more advance planning than most teenagers understand.” Most teenagers, if not all, need some kind of adult help to do the high-level planning that is required to apply to four-year colleges.
In middle and upper class families, where one or both parents are university-educated, this type of help comes naturally. These parents transmit their educational values throughout a child’s life, so when it comes time for them to look at colleges, there is already an expectation that the child will actually go to college. They’ve probably chosen their high school courses with this expectation in mind, and have had enough money and leisure to participate in sports or other enriching activities.
But in less privileged families, the college application process is more likely to just sneak up on a kid, who has had no or very little context to understand the process. When these students encounter an obstacle, such as the expense of taking the SAT, they may not realize that there are resources out there to help them overcome these obstacles, and there is unlikely to be anyone at home to tell them this.
While I think that the concept is great and I would like to see it as an across the board concept than something given to a select group of 24. What next step process is being done for students in ASAP or College Discovery; programs where the city and the statehasinvested their monies?
I also think that there are issues that perhaps the writer has not addressed and falls down on; the financial aid piece and the fact that there are so many moving pieces and factors to take into consideration especially because one size does not fit all
What type of support are the moms getting from the transfer advisors when it comes to money matters and especially money matters as it pertains to international and undocumented students living in NYC?
It states that the student in the article is looking at Columbia SGS, which while “mom” states may be an academic reach, the school may also be a huge financial reach because he school of general studies dies not offer the need based aid that Columbia College offers. While student in the article came to the U.S.3 years ago, how does applying for financial aid affect this student?
Actually CUNY and SUNY has streamlined their process to make it a some seamless transition when students are moving from CC to 4 year schools. And while the article gives good press to Laguardia it does not even scratch the surface.
I love the 10% admission rule. At least, it is simple to understand and navigate. Study, be the best in your high school, and automatic admission is guaranteed to you. I think it is a very fair and clear message to teenagers.
