Annually, from August to November, across the state of Indiana the College GO! Campaign takes place. One of the focal events is the College Application Week which is also called College GO! Week in some schools. College Application Week takes place during the last full week of September. This year, from September 21-25, students K-12 will be able to participate in activities to learn more about college.
This week is extra special for high school seniors. The main focus for seniors is to help them navigate the college admissions process. According to the Learn More Indiana website, where Hoosiers can find information about the campaign, the goal is “to ensure each student submits at least one admissions application.” Another goal of the campaign is to increase the number of first generation and low-income students applying to college.
As an educator, I believe all students should be prepared to attend college even if they are planning to enlist in the military or go right into the work force after high school graduation. Those options might be those students’ permanent future plans. However, some students start on one path first and then attend college. In my own family, my father served in the Marines and then he later obtained a degree from college.
The College GO! Campaign also encourages children to have conversations with their parents about college. High school is too late to begin having these conversations. Learning what your children’s interests are and giving them exposure to those interests helps them process during their K-12 education what they want to do when they grow up.
When I talked to my parents about college, I shared I was leaving the Hoosier state behind and was planning to go anywhere that wasn’t here. Then, my father told me that he earned the Purple Heart Medal during the Vietnam War, and as long as I went to school in Indiana, my tuition would be paid for. My parents told me they would support either choice I made whether that was in-state or out-of-state, but they would not be able to cover the tuition if I left the state. I made the decision to Boiler Up! I applied and was accepted to Purdue University.
These are conversations that parents and children need to have. Teachers and school counselors can provide support by exposing students to the options different colleges have to offer based on what students are interested in studying.
Even if you are not an educator or a parent, you can encourage the young people in your circle to start thinking about college now.
For more information about the College GO! Campaign go to https://learnmoreindiana.org/educators/classroom-materials/