@usualhopeful, unfortunately the SAT downwards trend will continue, I fear. In Native communities, there is little SAT or ACT prep. You are expected to just apply to a lower-tier state school or CC with open admission; you don’t need to pay to take any darn tests.
For more affluent communities, college advising/high schools are clueless about Native concerns and issues, and even how the Native “hook” should be positioned for best results. I see a lot of high school advisers thinking that you have to take DNA tests, you need to be a certain color, gotta live on the rez, really insulting and ignorant stuff that would never be acceptable said to another population.
Native grad rates are the lowest of all other minority groups. Native graduation rates are getting worse, not better. That’s the only minority group that is losing ground, and there are so few kids I don’t think anyone cares.
Gates Millennial Scholarships are going away. However, Hispanic and AA groups are getting Gates Foundation grants to fill the void (for far fewer students, it’s true. Gates Foundation thinks the problem is now solved and is turning to online education solutions. Think I’m kidding? Read their website.)
Where are the Native groups that are stepping up for grant money? I don’t see them.
You’ve heard of National Achievement Scholars and National Hispanic Scholars, where’s the same for Native kids? Yes, it matters, because it will get you a full ride plus at places like OU and TAMU, whether your family has financial need or not, plus automatic admission to their Honors Colleges and paid study abroad.
Yes, AIGC offers the Native High School Academic Team, but that’s 10 kids a year. 10. You are more likely to get a Gates.
Even at stalwarts like College Horizons, I see fewer prestigious colleges attending. It used to be attendees would meet 100% of need, like Questbridge. Now they don’t make that guarantee. Supposedly CH is looking for schools where Native kids would be a good “fit”. Now, instead of Rice you get Linfield College “profile coming soon” and Susquehanna University. (Thank you, LC and SU, for at least reaching out to the Native community.)
Less than 1% of Native kids go to college, any college. Let alone graduate. And how many of them are going to places like Haskell, Northeastern Oklahoma State or Flaming Rainbow?
Anybody with any hopeful statistics or anecdotes, I’d love to hear 'em.