Fly-in Programs

When I started in the scholarship/foundation world, I was unaware of a number of things related to college advising. One of the most helpful pieces of information I have picked up on over the years is related to fly-in programs. While lots of college counselors at bigger schools now about these programs, I think many at smaller, particularly rural and/or less-funded schools are unaware.

A low-income, academic superstar wants to go to college. They start taking all the necessary steps. For their higher-income peers, one of those steps is to visit schools before they apply. Great idea, right? Sure, if you have the money for flights, hotels, etc. What is the other student supposed to do to make that happen? Fly-in programs are the solution.

Fly-in programs are programs sponsored by the institution for underrepresented students to visit. They often cover all travel and boarding, and usually include programming so that students can truly experience the campus. It often gives them a chance to meets more like themselves and get a sense of how an institution might serve a student like them.

College Greenlight has a great list: http://blog.collegegreenlight.com/blog/2014-college-fly-in-programs/. If a teacher or counselor wants to know about a certain school, the best way to find out is to contact the admissions office. Schools often have an email newsletter to which someone could subscribe. Not all students will qualify, but at least it is a starting point for leveling the playing field.

Fee waivers for standardized tests

People often talk about how expensive it is to actually take the ACT or SAT. Is that correct? Absolutely. However, the cost of a standardized test should not deter a student with financial need from taking a necessary step in the path to a four-year college.

$52.50 That's the cost of a single SAT registration.

$26. That's the cost of a basic SAT II Subject Test fee.

It's not cheap. However, students who fall within a certain income, essentially qualifying for free and reduced lunch, are able to get fee waivers from their school counselor. Here's where you can find information about these waivers specific to the SAT: https://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-fee-waivers.  Students can also use the waivers to send a certain amount of free test scores, which is really helpful.

The ACT with Writing is about the same price: $54.50. Again the ACT offers information as well about waivers: http://www.actstudent.org/faq/feewaiver.html.

Definitely have students talk with their counselors about obtaining fee waivers. If you are at a school with no counselors or a small staff, then contact ACT or SAT directly. Taking a standardized test is one of the first steps to applying to a four-year institution, and the cost should not be a barrier.

College. Hard to get there. Even harder to finish.

I'm lucky enough to spend my work life helping students do both. My first years in education were spent in the classroom as a high school English teacher and what I found out was that I really loved advising students. Teaching them about Huck Finn, the writing process, and new vocabulary word was great, but what made me really passionate were those conversations I had with students about their goals and hopes for the future. I loved helping them think about how to plan out their college essays and even as ninth graders, think about where they might want to be in 5 or 10 years. So, the short of the long is that I made a shift. Now, I work with high-acheiving low-income students and help them navigate getting to and through college starting in 8th grade.

For low-income students, the process of applying to and choosing a college is often more complicated than their more affluent peers. I'll be using this blog to write on topics that are about the resources that are out there for low-income students to apply to and successfully make it through college. While this tiny little space can't house all of the information out there, it certainly can provide others with some great ideas, opportunities, and resources that I have been able to come across during my work.

First stop in the next post: fee waivers for standardized tests.