The Path to College
Content
Design and Development
Content Analysis Students entering the Path to College program will have already taken the PSAT and completed the sophomore year of high school successfully. The junior student eligible for the Path to College program at WHS will also have passed all four of Maryland’s High School Assessments.
The Path to College 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• Completion of several interest inventory tools to focus career path • Analysis of sophomore PSAT scores and preparation for official PSAT
• Analysis of new PSAT scores and preparation and registration for SAT
• Survey colleges to create a target list of schools in career path
• Review and retake SAT as necessary to improve scores
• Take two college trips to see a large and a small campus
• Evaulate high school education: plan senior year to complete all necessary classes and add benefical electives or community college courses as available
8
• Complete high school junior year • Summer workshop: "Get in the WRITE way!" writing the college entrance essay • Summer workshop: "Put your best FACE forward!" the college interview • Summer workshop: "YOU in one page" resume writing
9
10
11
12
• Senior year: evaluate work of the junior year and repeat any necessary steps
• Narrow college choice list to five
13
14
• Using tools created in summer workshops, complete college applications
15
• Apply for scholarships (high school based, college based, and other) • January-March of senior year: FAFSA WORKSHOP for students and parents • Take tours and complete overnight visits of top three colleges
16
17
18
• Complete all graduation requirements for high school • Evaluate college acceptance letters and either make a choice or apply to others on final list. • Apply for grants and loans as needed.... then get ready to graduate!
19
20
Instructional Module
“Get in the WRITE way!” a workshop for students between their junior and senior years of high school on the college entrance essay Objective By the end of the one-day workshop, the upcoming high school senior will write, type, and polish the presentation of a general college entrance essay. Plans The workshop will begin with icebreaker activities so that the participants will get to know each other. The activities will jog the memories of participants so to gather interesting life experiences for the essays. The life experiences will be categorized and then altered to fit other topics. For example: having difficulty learning to ride a bike can demonstrate perseverance or overcoming a weakness or even joy in accomplishment. One anecdote will be chosen as part of the introduction. Each student will write a draft of the introduction, and then in pairs, they will introduce themselves with their introduction paragraphs revising them as needed. The central part of the workshop will be evaluating accomplishments and envisioning the future. These topics will comprise the body of the essay. In role-playing format as speeches, the participants will “speak” the conclusions of their essays. Verbalizing conclusions create stronger conclusions. The conclusions will also refer to the anecdote in the introduction. Finally, each participant will type the essay. Partners will edit, and facilitators will assist in order to ensure that each essay is error-free.
The participants will leave with an electronic copy and a hard copy of the completed essay ready to present to colleges! Materials Laptop computers (one for each participant) linked to a wireless printer Flash drives or CDs Materials needed for icebreaker activities Refreshments for participants
Content Analysis Students entering the Path to College program will have already taken the PSAT and completed the sophomore year of high school successfully. The junior student eligible for the Path to College program at WHS will also have passed all four of Maryland’s High School Assessments.
The Path to College 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• Completion of several interest inventory tools to focus career path • Analysis of sophomore PSAT scores and preparation for official PSAT
• Analysis of new PSAT scores and preparation and registration for SAT
• Survey colleges to create a target list of schools in career path
• Review and retake SAT as necessary to improve scores
• Take two college trips to see a large and a small campus
• Evaulate high school education: plan senior year to complete all necessary classes and add benefical electives or community college courses as available
8
• Complete high school junior year • Summer workshop: "Get in the WRITE way!" writing the college entrance essay • Summer workshop: "Put your best FACE forward!" the college interview • Summer workshop: "YOU in one page" resume writing
9
10
11
12
• Senior year: evaluate work of the junior year and repeat any necessary steps
• Narrow college choice list to five
13
14
• Using tools created in summer workshops, complete college applications
15
• Apply for scholarships (high school based, college based, and other) • January-March of senior year: FAFSA WORKSHOP for students and parents • Take tours and complete overnight visits of top three colleges
16
17
18
• Complete all graduation requirements for high school • Evaluate college acceptance letters and either make a choice or apply to others on final list. • Apply for grants and loans as needed.... then get ready to graduate!
19
20
Instructional Module
“Get in the WRITE way!” a workshop for students between their junior and senior years of high school on the college entrance essay Objective By the end of the one-day workshop, the upcoming high school senior will write, type, and polish the presentation of a general college entrance essay. Plans The workshop will begin with icebreaker activities so that the participants will get to know each other. The activities will jog the memories of participants so to gather interesting life experiences for the essays. The life experiences will be categorized and then altered to fit other topics. For example: having difficulty learning to ride a bike can demonstrate perseverance or overcoming a weakness or even joy in accomplishment. One anecdote will be chosen as part of the introduction. Each student will write a draft of the introduction, and then in pairs, they will introduce themselves with their introduction paragraphs revising them as needed. The central part of the workshop will be evaluating accomplishments and envisioning the future. These topics will comprise the body of the essay. In role-playing format as speeches, the participants will “speak” the conclusions of their essays. Verbalizing conclusions create stronger conclusions. The conclusions will also refer to the anecdote in the introduction. Finally, each participant will type the essay. Partners will edit, and facilitators will assist in order to ensure that each essay is error-free.
The participants will leave with an electronic copy and a hard copy of the completed essay ready to present to colleges! Materials Laptop computers (one for each participant) linked to a wireless printer Flash drives or CDs Materials needed for icebreaker activities Refreshments for participants
