How to Apply to College will empower learners of all backgrounds to demystify and better understand the college search and selection process, combining the expertise of an Ivy League admissions office and a leading college access and success organization. Led by expert educators, including Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Sean Vereen, President of Steppingstone Scholars, Inc., this free course will help students, family members, college counselors and any inquisitive learner to navigate each stage from the start of the college search process through the transition into a college environment. Through dialogue with students applying to and currently in college as well as campus advocates, How to Apply to College also aims to close the information gap for students who may be the first in their family to attend college and students who are underrepresented in higher education. A range of video and web resources are provided through a collaboration with a number of educational partners including The Common Application, with nearly 700 colleges on the application platform, and Raise.me, which provides a new way for high school students to earn money for college starting in 9th grade based on their achievements in school and life. Other resources and tools featured in the course include Naviance, College Greenlight, College Scorecard, BigFuture by the College Board, College and Pell Abacus, ZeeMee and Federal Student Aid.
Choosing Colleges and Visiting Colleges
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來自 University of Pennsylvania 的課程
How to Apply to College
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Exploring College Campuses: What To Consider
With a better understanding of ‘what to look for’ in colleges, viewers will gain insight and direction on college visiting opportunities, including ‘fly-in’ programs where colleges pay for your campus visit before you apply and after you are admitted. Steppingstone Scholars will bring participants through their visit experiences and Philadelphia area colleges will highlight their campuses and resources. Resources into the college search and scholarship process via College Greenlight are offered.
與講師見面
Eric J. FurdaDean of Admissions
Dr. Sean VereenPresident
Steppingstone Scholars, Inc.
[MUSIC]
We're now at the point of the process where we may begin to
pull together a list that we'll actually visit a college campus.
We've been very thoughtful up to this point, thinking about what that college
environment looks like, your identity questions, as well as some of the cultural
and community pieces that you'd like to see in the college campus.
Now we can start putting some names to these colleges and actually visiting them.
But before you get in a car or
onto mass transit, I want you to do some investigating beforehand.
Get online and
take a look at the resources supplied not only by the admissions office,
perhaps with admission statistics, taking a look at student blogs, and
getting their voice and narrative about their experiences on the college campus.
But also departmental websites, athletics websites,
the libraries, like we're here in Fisher Fine Arts Library,
to get a real sense of the campus community and campus feel.
You'll be much better prepared with questions if you do this work beforehand,
so as you're walking around, you can have ownership over your journey.
Once you're on a college campus,
I want you to have a couple of different experiences.
Some of these may be a bit more scripted, and others are going to be more natural.
The information session offered by the admission office and
a student-led tour are usually offered Monday through Friday, and
sometimes on weekends and holidays, for families to visit the campus.
You usually need to pre-register and get an RSVP.
So please make sure that you that beforehand.
Think about the questions that you have specifically for
that school when you're in one of those sessions.
Don't just ask a general question but think a little bit more pointedly about
your interest academically and socially, and how that school can meet your needs.
The next step is really to enjoy the campus in a more open way.
I want you to find out where students eat lunch, and have dinner.
Go into those spaces.
I want you to think about and try to experience, well, what are campus
experiences like when students get out of class, and then go to their next class?
How connected is the campus?
Are students taking a bus from one side to the other or is it all compact?
Is it a school in a city?
And how do you get a sense of where the campus buildings are versus maybe
the general population of the city?
We want this to be free-flowing, but we also want this to be authentic.
We want you to have a sense of what life would be like day in and
day out on that campus.
If you stay overnight, perhaps you'll stay overnight with a student and
sit in on some classes the next day.
Experience academic life in that manner.
If you're staying in a campus and they're having an evening out,
a movie night out or an athletic event, go to those events.
Don't stay in the room and kind of do your homework,
although you always need to do your homework.
But make sure that you get out and experience that place.
And then take notes, it's going to go very quickly and if you visit more than four or
five schools, they're going to start blending together.
Write down those attributes and how they connect to your original list,
what you're looking for, your identity and what you hope for in a college community.
[MUSIC]
>> So Skylar and Rakim, I'm curious because you'll be applying this fall.
What does your college list look like?
What schools are you seeking to apply to?
>> So when I first started off, I had three schools on my college list.
And I honestly thought that was good.
And I took it to Miss Gianna who works at Stepping Stone,
who's our college counselor, and I showed her my list.
And [LAUGH] she was like, are you serious?
And I'm like, yeah, those are my schools that I want to go to.
So she's like, you need more.
And I'm like more, I like these three.
And she kind of helped me figure out my list.
And my top three are Duke University, Lehigh University, and Temple University.
>> Okay.
>> And I really want to go to Duke University.
But I also have schools like Boston University, Tulane, Wesleyan,
and then Florida A&M.
I've pretty much been looking at schools who have really great engineering
programs, and who are also need based.
>> Okay. >> So, I need the money.
>> Okay.
[MUSIC]
So Ben and Courtney, because you both have had experiences on either
end of the college matriculation spectrum, I'm curious as to whether or
not you have any advice for first generation students, or
students in general, about the college application process?
>> I definitely have a lot of advice.
To start, I completely understand not having
your parents help you with your process.
My parents didn't do any of my financial aid or anything,
you had to do it yourself.
The biggest thing that helped me go through
the college process was working with friends.
Like I said before, I really enjoy working with my peers.
And honestly I prefer to struggle with friends rather than struggling myself.
And yeah, I would ask my friends some questions about
the college process, and most of the time they wouldn't even know the answers.
So now you know that you both have the same problem.
So you both attack it from different angles and ask different people.
And that just helped the college process go much smoother.
And while you're at college, just meet new people.
Step out of your comfort zone.
Try new things, or even like apply to completely different colleges.
I applied to state colleges with tens of thousands people, and
I've applied to colleges with only 1,000 kids.
So really feel out which environment you fit in, and
more often than not, you'll definitely find the right school for
you and you'll find all your friends.
>> Awesome.
>> So advice I would have for first generation students or
students that are going to college.
Definitely keep an open mind.
There are so many opportunities, there are so many groups, there are so
many people to meet.
And if you come into college with a closed mind, or you come into college shy and
you're nervous, you'll miss out on so many opportunities.
There are so many people to help you out there.
I didn't have much college knowledge, per se,
because my sisters didn't go to college, so
I was the first one in my family to attend college other than my mom.
But when I was applying for college, I really didn't know what to expect.
So again, friends, if you are going to college with a friend,
be friends with them, but also make other friends.
Because those friends that you have will get other friends as well.
So again, an open mind and not restricting yourself to only people you know.
So if there's a club or a group that you had interest in before, go for it.
>> Okay, and is there any advice that you would give about specifically
the application process or anything related to getting to college?
>> I would just start early.
Start as early as possible, especially because there will be
hundreds of thousands of scholarships always and,
Being honest with yourself, okay, so if I don't get any scholarships or
if I don't get any loans or grants, will I be able to fund it?
And see how much money that school usually gives students.
Still apply, but remember when you're making your list of
the schools that you want to attend, what are the chances of you
actually being accepted and being able to fund it on your own?
So be honest and be realistic.
>> Okay. [MUSIC]
