The rush home from high school, the tearing open of the envelope, the deep sigh of relief when the letter begins: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at "
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| Johnson School Park fellow Jennifer McNamara, left, displays the College Connection guides with Bob Skates, GIAC youth development program leader, and Cassandra Nelson, GIAC's teen program coordinator, in front of the GIAC building in downtown Ithaca. Nicola Kountoupes/University Photography |
That scene, so common in homes with high school seniors of college-educated parents, is taking place far less often than it could be in other homes. High school students whose parents didn't go to college or who have little family support or financial resources are particularly vulnerable, explained Cassandra Nelson, a Cornell graduate (B.S. '81) who now runs the teen program at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) in Ithaca. They often end up starting too late then giving up, said Nelson, because there isn't enough time to figure out where to go and what to do to get there -- or their families may believe, erroneously, that they can't afford to send their kids to college.
Intent on improving the situation for Ithaca-area high school students, Nelson linked up with Stacy Lalin, Jennifer McNamara and Angela Ailloni-Charas, three students who are Park fellows in Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management.
"We knew we wanted to do something that would involve young people and education as our Park Leadership Service Project," said McNamara (see story).
The three spent much of their free time this past year talking to guidance counselors and doing extensive research. They discovered that there was an enormous amount of material out there on college admissions, but "amazingly there's no one book on the market that walks you through the process," said McNamara. "What we did was put everything you need to know in a condensed format that's manageable and useable."
They produced two spiral-bound books, a College Connection Student Guide and companion Teacher's Guide that together are a comprehensive program that will make it easier for urban teens who attend GIAC and their families to surmount some of the obstacles to getting into the right college.
The student guide begins with a self-assessment designed to help high schoolers figure out what they are really interested in. It includes a month-by-month "to do" calendar focused on students' junior and senior years. A section on choosing the right college summarizes the kinds that are out there and how students might match them to their own needs and personalities. Most important, a section called "Completing the Application" breaks the process down into six simple steps and includes a checklist to make sure that no important detail falls through the cracks. There are also sections on writing the ubiquitous application essay, taking standardized tests and finding and getting financial aid.
One useful section aims to help African-American high school students decide if going to a historically black college is the right choice for them. Another helps parents understand what they need to do ("Separate your own aspirations from those of your child") and not do. A third is directed specifically at students with learning disabilities and those whose native language isn't English.
There is also a section on how to involve younger siblings in the college admissions process and the addresses of helpful web sites on college admission. An appendix includes sample documents, such as the standard financial aid form, independent sources for financial aid in general and assistance for African-American and Latino students in particular, and names and addresses of historically black and Hispanic colleges.
The teacher's guide spells out teachers' and parents' responsibilities and lays out an eight-session curriculum that will take place throughout the school year. Among other things, the courses demystify standardized tests and financial aid availability.
"I can see it being of very lasting value," said GIAC's Nelson. "Nothing like it exists in the community." Fifty-seven high school students and their families have already registered for the program, she said. They will meet this month for an orientation session, then regroup in late August to determine a fall schedule that works for everyone.
"We're gratified that this will happen, that students will be taking advantage of it this fall," said McNamara, who, with her teammates, is training volunteers from next year's crop of Park fellows to act as program tutors.
The guides were paid for by the Park Foundation and will be given to each of the participating students as well as made available on GIAC's library shelf. There also will be a web site that students will be able to access from school or home that includes most of the workbooks' components.
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