WEBVTT

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Hi, my name is Amaury Nora.

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I am professor of higher
education at the University

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of Texas at San Antonio.

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The key areas where
students need support

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in completing the college
application process involve,

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one, is preparing for
the entrance exams.

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The idea of laying out the
application form for them

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and studying and preparing for
them, knowing, in fact, how,

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and what needs to be sort of
focused on during those exams.

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Part of that also is in
terms of reference letters

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and making sure that the
reference letters are

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from people who really
help to make the case,

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as well as in the statement

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that students sometimes
are asked to turn in.

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Statements that will identify
the types of activities

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that students were engaged
in both in the school as well

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as with the community.

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The second step is choosing
which college to apply to.

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One of the things that's really,
really important is to be sure

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that students consider all of
the things that are available

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to them: the services that are
there, the type of culture,

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climate that they find
on these campuses.

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And so, in terms of providing
support, it's knowing

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and being able to find

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out information-key
information-on those different

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campuses that the
student is considering.

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The third key area
is, of course,

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visiting the colleges as well.

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It's going past just the
signs that you see in terms

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of a website, that it's actually
going and talking to people

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at these institutions and really
getting a sense of the culture

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that you will find
both in the department

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that the students are interested
in applying to as well as some

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of the social organizations

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and some other key
aspects of institutions.

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The final step is completing
the application process,

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and that's really,
really important.

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The research indicates that
when the support from counselors

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or teachers or whoever
is there, and it follows

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through the whole process,
that students are much,

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much more likely to
go ahead and complete

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that whole application
process and actually end

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up enrolled in college.

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Some of the strategies
that high schools can use

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to overcome the lack
of counselors

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on the campus could involve,
for one, setting up internships

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with different universities that
are nearby those high schools.

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For example setting up an
opportunity for students

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in educational counseling
departments,

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and social work departments,
and psychology departments

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where they can actually
do their internships

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on the high school
campus and make sure

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that they are geared
towards completing the steps

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that are necessary
for the students

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to complete and to
go to college.

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I believe that the
most important factor

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that schools need to keep
in mind in implementing all

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of these practices,
and providing the steps

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that are necessary for students

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to complete the college entry
process, is really focusing

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on the commitment on
the part of teachers,

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on the part of the students,
on parents, on administrators,

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and even the community.

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The whole purpose of engaging
in this practice is really

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to enhance the level
of engagement

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that students are expected
to have in order to go ahead

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and apply and go through all of
the forms and all of the steps

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that are necessary
to enroll in college.

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That engagement has to also
be on the part of the parents,

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on the part of teachers,
and on the part

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of the community as well.

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It's when that collective
effort just comes all together

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and there is full
engagement on all parties

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that students will be more
successful in completing

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that college entry process.