Author: Rachel Martinez
Development Intern, GreenLight Fund
In September 2013, the
GreenLight Fund supported the launch of the College Advising Corps in Boston. The
College Advising Corps places well-trained, recent college graduates as
full-time college advisers in the nation’s underserved high schools. Their
mission is to provide support for high-need students throughout the college
application process, serving as positive role models, while also helping foster
a college-going culture. This fall, 16 advisers will serve in 15 Boston public
high schools, as well as KIPP Lynn.
On my
first day at GreenLight, I was lucky enough to sit in on a College Advising
Corps (CAC) summer training session to prepare college advisers to work with
local high school students this coming year.
The
day’s session focused on helping high school seniors select colleges where they
have the greatest likelihood of succeeding. I was particularly struck by the
difference between helping students find a good “match” vs. “fit” when
selecting a college. According to Jennifer Cox Bell, CAC director of programs
and partnerships, and the session trainer, match is purely about a student’s
academics, whereas fit involves assessing colleges based on many facets of a
student’s life: income status, family commitments, extracurricular interests,
to name just a few. CAC has a strong track record and deep expertise in helping
students select colleges that are both good matches and fits for them. They
help them consider many factors like financial aid offerings, location,
graduation rate, extracurricular activities, and degree options in selecting a
college.
 |
| The Boston Advisers with CAC leadership, Jennifer Cox Bell and Katie Magyar |
One of
the ways low-income, first generation students often select colleges that aren't the best fit is by under-matching. Almost everyone in the room raised their hands when Cox Bell asked if we knew what “under-matching” meant. Sadly,
many students, especially those from families with incomes in the lowest
quartile, enroll in colleges for which they are overqualified. As a result,
these students may feel unchallenged academically and may not get the support
that other colleges could give, which significantly decreases their chances of
graduating.
A large
part of the afternoon’s training involved teaching the advisers about tools and
strategies they will use to help students find colleges with the right fit for
them. Cox Bell suggested that
the advisers try an
activity designed to help students visualize what they want in a college. The
activity includes printing photos representing many aspects of college life,
such as class size, setting, and campus culture. The adviser’s high school students
would then stick post-it notes on the photos that appeal to them in each
category. Although it seems simple, this is often a very effective activity,
especially since many of the students are the first in their families to
consider college and still may not believe that it is an option for them.
 |
| The Boston Advisers with GreenLight Fund staff |
One of
my favorite features of the day was hearing advisers tell stories from their
own experiences. Most of the advisers
are themselves are from low-income communities and were the first in their
families to graduate from college. One adviser told us that the valedictorian
of his class didn't even attend college. As the son of immigrant parents, it
was difficult for this student to navigate the college application process –
even with a strong academic record. Unfortunately, he did not have the support
of a college adviser who could have provided much-needed guidance about
options, like applying for scholarships. Another adviser described her own
experience at a university that “refused to let her drop out,” suggesting that
if she had selected another university or under-matched she may have dropped
out herself.
 |
| The Boston Advisers discuss the best college options for a sample student |
The
highlight of the day was seeing the passion of the advisers to help students
follow in their footsteps to and through college. During discussions of case
studies of hypothetical students, the advisers were already strong advocates
for these students, carefully considering how best to help each one and showing
how hard and creatively they will work to ensure every senior in their high
schools prepares for, applies to and selects a college where they can succeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment