WEBVTT

00:00:01.516 --> 00:00:05.136
[Music]

00:00:05.636 --> 00:00:06.816
I am Michael Richardson.

00:00:06.886 --> 00:00:10.266
I am the College Summit teacher
at Crossland High School.

00:00:10.776 --> 00:00:13.626
We introduced College Summit
in Crossland High School

00:00:13.746 --> 00:00:16.996
around 2006, and in the
beginning we had about three

00:00:16.996 --> 00:00:19.506
or four classes of seniors
that were taking this class.

00:00:19.506 --> 00:00:22.126
And this class is devoted
to one thing; it's devoted

00:00:22.506 --> 00:00:25.436
to making sure that all the
seniors understand the college

00:00:25.436 --> 00:00:27.446
application process,
that they have someone,

00:00:27.906 --> 00:00:31.736
a teacher of a class walking
with them step-by-step

00:00:32.026 --> 00:00:34.286
as they apply to colleges
and apply for financial aid.

00:00:34.806 --> 00:00:36.976
Everything we do in
College Summit is directed

00:00:36.976 --> 00:00:39.466
to that one goal of getting
these students funding to go

00:00:39.466 --> 00:00:41.596
to college and getting them
accepted into a college

00:00:41.626 --> 00:00:42.626
that fits their needs.

00:00:43.026 --> 00:00:46.076
We have college reps come
and talk to our class.

00:00:46.486 --> 00:00:49.036
We work on applications
together.

00:00:49.466 --> 00:00:54.606
We do all the work that is
necessary to find funding

00:00:54.606 --> 00:00:57.536
and to get admitted into
a college in that class.

00:00:57.956 --> 00:01:01.066
And I think that probably this
is one of the most important

00:01:01.166 --> 00:01:03.646
and significant classes
that the senior takes,

00:01:03.646 --> 00:01:06.636
and that's why we decided to
make this a compulsory course.

00:01:07.086 --> 00:01:09.826
We will have them start
writing the personal statement.

00:01:09.826 --> 00:01:12.416
Now, the personal statement is
actually one of the components

00:01:12.416 --> 00:01:14.376
of almost all college
applications,

00:01:14.896 --> 00:01:17.216
but we like to use a
personal statement as a chance

00:01:17.216 --> 00:01:21.116
for the students to explore
their past, their present,

00:01:21.116 --> 00:01:23.026
and then what they
want in the future.

00:01:23.356 --> 00:01:26.296
We take different personality
tests to find out what kind

00:01:26.296 --> 00:01:28.116
of career they might
be suited for

00:01:28.116 --> 00:01:29.326
and what their interests are.

00:01:29.326 --> 00:01:31.926
We have several personality
inventories

00:01:31.926 --> 00:01:34.426
and career inventories that
they actually will complete

00:01:34.426 --> 00:01:35.966
in the first couple of
months of the senior year.

00:01:36.496 --> 00:01:39.836
And from there we begin to say,
okay, now since you have found

00:01:39.836 --> 00:01:43.026
out what your interests are,
you have explored it in writing

00:01:43.026 --> 00:01:45.696
and you have taken these
personality tests to find

00:01:45.696 --> 00:01:49.566
out what it is that makes you
what you are, and now let's find

00:01:49.566 --> 00:01:51.506
out what school would
be the best one

00:01:51.506 --> 00:01:53.016
for you to develop that.

00:01:53.356 --> 00:01:54.936
And so from the personal
statement,

00:01:54.936 --> 00:01:57.916
they then begin looking at,
okay, this is what I want to do

00:01:57.916 --> 00:02:00.556
in my life, this is the major
I want-what schools offer that?

00:02:00.876 --> 00:02:02.966
Before Thanksgiving, they
should have visited the three

00:02:02.966 --> 00:02:04.886
or four colleges that
are on their short list.

00:02:05.376 --> 00:02:08.476
And with that short list,
we tell them to choose one

00:02:08.476 --> 00:02:10.246
or two colleges that
are reach colleges,

00:02:10.316 --> 00:02:12.336
colleges that might be
difficult for them to get into

00:02:12.336 --> 00:02:14.476
but it's their ultimate,
their dream colleges.

00:02:14.916 --> 00:02:17.166
We have them look at two
or three colleges that are

00:02:17.166 --> 00:02:20.006
in state, where they will pay
the least amount of tuition.

00:02:20.006 --> 00:02:22.416
And we have them look
at one or two colleges

00:02:22.416 --> 00:02:23.586
that are their safety picks,

00:02:23.586 --> 00:02:28.666
colleges that they know they can
get into; all the qualifications

00:02:28.666 --> 00:02:29.966
that college demands,
they have it.

00:02:30.496 --> 00:02:32.436
And so they try to look
at that entire spectrum.

00:02:32.436 --> 00:02:34.786
And we have college
visits that we organize,

00:02:35.076 --> 00:02:36.846
and many times they
will do it on their own.

00:02:37.386 --> 00:02:39.556
After they have found
the colleges

00:02:39.556 --> 00:02:42.066
that they think are
the right fit for them,

00:02:42.206 --> 00:02:44.116
we make sure they
get applications.

00:02:44.266 --> 00:02:46.706
We download applications online.

00:02:46.706 --> 00:02:49.366
We have them do them by
hand and then type them in

00:02:49.366 --> 00:02:51.096
and submit those
applications online.

00:02:51.686 --> 00:02:54.046
One of the most incredible
tools that have made

00:02:54.046 --> 00:02:57.206
such a big difference in
helping us lead our students

00:02:57.206 --> 00:02:59.856
through the college application
process is students do an

00:02:59.856 --> 00:03:01.146
online portfolio.

00:03:01.606 --> 00:03:03.526
That way, when they do
their personal statement,

00:03:03.576 --> 00:03:06.046
they put it online, they
put their resume online,

00:03:06.446 --> 00:03:10.496
they put every aspect that
they need, their transcripts,

00:03:10.626 --> 00:03:12.736
everything that they need to
complete a college application,

00:03:12.736 --> 00:03:13.976
they can actually
save it online.

00:03:14.396 --> 00:03:16.946
And that way when I go home,
I can open up my computer

00:03:16.946 --> 00:03:18.516
and I can read their
personal statements.

00:03:18.516 --> 00:03:20.496
And I can comment on them,

00:03:20.496 --> 00:03:25.746
and that gives us also a
communication, so I communicate

00:03:25.746 --> 00:03:28.536
with them back and forth
about what they need to do.

00:03:29.136 --> 00:03:32.276
The online portfolio also
has a scholarship search,

00:03:32.616 --> 00:03:36.016
so our students can
seek out scholarships

00:03:36.016 --> 00:03:38.126
that match maybe
their qualifications.

00:03:38.536 --> 00:03:40.436
The good thing about the
fact that we make all

00:03:40.436 --> 00:03:43.256
of our seniors take this
course, and make them apply

00:03:43.256 --> 00:03:45.666
to colleges together, is we
get to find those students,

00:03:45.666 --> 00:03:48.516
identify those that are
a little intimidated

00:03:48.516 --> 00:03:50.736
by it-they have never seen
anything like this before.

00:03:51.026 --> 00:03:53.286
And you know we really
do, we make it a part

00:03:53.286 --> 00:03:55.796
of every teacher's job here,
that work with seniors,

00:03:55.796 --> 00:03:57.196
to walk with them step
by step and to make sure

00:03:57.226 --> 00:03:57.976
that no one is left behind.

00:03:59.516 --> 00:04:05.500
[Music]