Investing in Your Future: College 101 and the Simmons Memorial Foundation 3PI Initiative

1. SIMMONS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION 3PI INITIATIVE COLLEGE 101: INVESTING IN YOUR FUTURE

2. Opening Thoughts Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation. President John F. Kennedy The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. Aristole In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody.   Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. AGENDA • Introduction • Applying to College 101 • Break • All-Star College Panel • Break • College Trip Discussion • One-on-One Discussion

4. Who are we? • For nearly two decades, the Simmons Memorial Foundation (SMF) has prepared students for college admission and nurtured habits of mind that are essential for high achievement in diverse and complex learning communities. As a result, students who once had few college options are now offered admission and graduate from some of the most selective colleges and universities in the nation.

5. SMF is a nonprofit • That promotes better higher education outcomes for vulnerable students • That informs, inspires, motivates, and empowers students • That transforms educational trajectories • That helps students in your community • That needs your help!

6. Our Goals • Increase the number of college graduates from vulnerable and underrepresented groups. • Develop academic and non-academic student survival skills. • Create an effective, permanent support network for students. • Raise community awareness of higher education and career opportunities. • Establish a non-traditional feeder system for selective colleges and universities.

7. SMF Programming • Informative seminars • One-on-one college application assistance • College trips • Free college guidebooks and materials • SAT preparation assistance

8. WHY? • Nationwide the average ratio of high school counselors to students is 460 to 1.

9. WHY? • When compared to their more privileged peers with similar academic qualifications, vulnerable students are less likely to attend college. If they pursue higher education, they are more likely to attend less selective four-year colleges, vocational schools, community colleges, and for-profit universities. • This phenomenon highlights a sorting process among higher education options that further perpetuates socio-economic inequality and elite self-replication.

10. Education & Career Life Cycle

11. Why college is an essential investment? You can increase your lifetime earnings by 3 MILLION DOLLARS On average, this is how much you will earn with a full-time job (after age 30)

12. Higher education has significant individual and societal benefits • Better health outcomes • Lower crime rates • Less discrimination • Greater environmental sustainability • Financial literacy • Knowledge

13. Don’t Approach the College Decision Lightly: Where you go to college matters • The more selective the school, the more you will earn, despite tuition differences • Selective schools provide more financial aid • Selective schools have higher graduation rates • Selective schools have non-monetary benefits: lower employment rates and expansive social networks

14. Introductions • Professor Omari Simmons • Allyson Diljohn • WFU ‘06; University of Pennsylvania GSE ’11 • Paige Woods • Harvard College, Class of 2016 • Joseph Ford • Wake Forest University, Class of 2018

15. Introductions (continued) • Adia Davis • College of William & Mary, Class of 2018 • Dominique Hill, • Hampton University, Class of 2017 • Semassa Boko • Pomona College, Class of 2018

16. ADMISSIONS 101

17. What Are Colleges Looking For? • Academic Excellence • Contributions to College Community • Contributions to Society

18. COMPETENCIES • Critical Thinking • Communication • Written • Oral • Inter-cultural and intra-cultural competence • Listening • Addressing ambiguity and adaptation

19. Curriculum & Grades

20. RECOMMENDATIONS

21. THE COLLEGE ESSAY

22. ACTIVITIES

23. Interviewing

24. Standardized Tests

25. Standardized Tests • Free Online Tools • Khan Academy & College Board – Offers 4 full length tests, diagnostic quizzes, • https://www.khanacademy.org/sat • SAT PREP BOOKS • Sign-Up if you would like to receive an SAT Prep book

26. SAT OPTIONAL SCHOOLS • http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional

27. FINANCIAL AID

28. College Visits and Overnight Stays

29. What should you be doing now? • Register for the December SAT or ACT • Make sure you send your test scores to the colleges to which you are applying. • Ask two teachers from academic subjects (English, Math, Science, History, Foreign Language) for recommendations. • Work on applications!

30. What should you be doing now? • Check to see what scholarships are offered by the schools you are considering • Communicate with your guidance counselor to make sure that your transcripts are submitted to the appropriate colleges and universities

31. Individualized Consulting Seniors and Juniors can receive college application consultations from Ms. Diljohn (e.g., essays, questions, school lists, etc.) • Seniors & Parents contact: • Allyson Diljohn: • allyson.diljohn@gmail.com • (610) 329-0226

32. BREAK

33. All-Star College Panel • Moderator • Professor Omari Simmons, WFU Law • Panelists • Joseph Ford, Wake Forest University ‘18 • Paige Woods, Harvard College, ‘16 • Adia Davis, College of William & Mary, ‘16 • Dominique Hill, Hampton University, ’17 • Semassa Boko, Pomona College, ‘18

34. College Panel QUESTIONS: • Introduce yourself and your intended field of study. • Describe your typical day as a college student. • Describe the challenges of adjusting to college: academic and social. • What factors did you consider when selecting a college? • What advice would you give to high school seniors applying to college? • What advice would you give to students starting college? • What do you do for fun at college? • What do you want to be when you grow up (career goals)?

35. SMF Annual College Trip

36. College Trip 2015 October 13th-16th • Tuesday • Travel to Philadelphia • Wednesday • University of Pennsylvania • Temple University • City Tour (TBD) • Thursday • Haverford College • Swarthmore College • SMF Banquet • Friday • Philadelphia Art Museum/Barnes Foundation Group Tour • Additional College Visit (TBD) • Return to Winston-Salem

37. College Trip 2015 • Applications post-marked by Sept. 29th with $50 refundable deposit • In need of parent chaperones!!! • Contact Paige Woods

38. WRAP-UP • Next Sessions – • College Trip • Last Minute Application Clinic for Seniors

39. CONTACT • Phone • 336-462-8062 • SMF website • http://www.smfnonprofit.org • E-mail • smfnonprofit@gmail.com • Facebook, LinkedIn

40. CONTACT Paige Woods – paigewoods01@college.harvard.edu Joseph Ford – fordjs14@wfu.edu Allyson Diljohn -allyson.diljohn@gmail.com