Scholarships and Announcements

Students – remember to check the ‘Scholarship,’ ‘Announcement,’ and ‘Out and About Page’ regularly for updates!

There is a wealth of information and important deadlines to adhere to.

MLK – Day ON

College Bound Community Service Day

MLK DAY is a DAY ON, not a Day OFF for the College Bound family!  Parents, students and Partners are invited to take part in a wonderful community service opportunity this upcoming Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will be working with City Year at Dunbar Senior High School. 

Our project will revolve around community revitalization, including gardening and mural painting. Most projects will involve painting, so please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting messy!

This is not only a great opportunity to help others; it is also an excellent OFF –SITE MENTORING ACTIVITY for students and partners.

When: 8:30am – 1:00pm Monday, January 16, 2012.

Where: Dunbar High School, 1301 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001.

Please contact Toronto Alsbrooks at the College Bound office if you have any questions or would like to register.

See you Monday!

Can you Taste College?

College Bound hosted its annual Taste of College Night on Monday, Dec. 5. Once again, the clever mix of a college information fair, inspiring speakers, parent and student workshops, entertainment and fellowship proved successful. Over 200 students attended; though they were mostly seniors, students grades 8 – 11 were introduced again to the college process.

Admission representatives and alumni from 44 colleges and universities nationwide were present!  They ranged from local universities like American and Howard University, to schools as far as University of California Berkley, ivy league schools like Harvard University, and others such as Prince George’s Community College, Michigan State University, New York University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Anthony Willis, College Bound Alumnus and recent graduate of Benedict College, was the first guest speaker. He spoke about the great opportunities CB provided him in preparation for Benedict, and encouraged current students to take advantage of CB resources.

The second speaker was local radio personality on WPGC 95.5 Aaron “Herkules” Graves. Herkules shared lessons he learned while in college and tips for parents. Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. also performed a great step routine.

After the information fair, parents participated in a financial aid workshop and students in a business etiquette workshop. Following the event, there was a delicious dessert reception.

THANK YOU to all admission reps, speakers, partners, performers, and students that made the Taste of College Night a success!

Recent College Tour

On Friday, November 11th, forty four College Bound students spent their Veteran’s Day on an all-day trip to visit Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union University. Most students in attendance were juniors, but all grades were represented.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) enrolls more than 32,000 students  as one of the nation’s top research universities. After an information session and tour of campus, students attended a discussion panel held by the Office of Multicultural Affairs that included College Bound alumni, undergraduate, and graduate students from a variety of majors.  They talked and answered questions from College Bound students about majors, transitioning from high school to college, financial aid, study habits, missing home, professional opportunities outside of class, athletics and other student activities. The students enjoyed the opportunity to talk to current students about their experience at VCU. Many shared that they want to apply.

Next, students went about 15 minutes away to Virginia Union University (VUU). VUU is a historically black college, founded in 1865 for newly emancipated slaves. The pre-tour information session discussed financial aid and scholarships, majors, and student life. Current students led small group tours of the historical campus while providing more information about student opportunities, academics, and student life at Virginia Union. VUU also does on site admissions and ALL college bound students who brought their transcript were admitted! Congratulations to them!

On the bus ride back to DC, students reflected on both schools by discussing what they like and didn’t like about each school.

There is also a week long trip of college tours in the Spring.

See the World!

Have you ever studied abroad? Whether you have or haven’t, you understanding that the world offers the biggest opportunity for learning. Experiencing other people, cultures, and places is a very rewarding experience.

According to a report in Inside Higher Ed, researchers found that “students who study abroad have improved academic performance upon returning to their home campus, higher graduation rates, and improved knowledge of cultural practices and context compared to students in control groups. They’ve also found that studying abroad helps, rather than hinders, academic performance of at-risk students.”

With a generous grant of $10,000 from AIFS Foundation as seed money, College Bound’s 10 Site Ambassadors will travel to Europe and West African for 10 days over their winter break! Additional costs will be covered through various fundraisers, family members and other support networks.

This experience will allow College Bound students to start developing an international perspective prior to college. While on the trip, they will journal daily as well as blog about their experience.

If you are willing to support College Bound’s International Study Program, please donate.

Week Recap

This week was a busy week for us here at College Bound! In addition to our weekly site meetings, we held our first book club meeting! Both meetings served as an introduction to the book club program and format, including a discussion and introductory activity.

The boys will read Up from Slavery: An Autobiography of Booker T. Washington. The girls are reading Someone to Love Me by Anne Schraff.

College Bound Book Club First Meeting!

Students – please attend! We provided the book club as a resource for you to improve your reading and writing skills while having fun talking with others.

Partners, please encourage your student to attend!

Happy Reading.

Interested in Science, Engineering, or Technology?

If you are interested in science, engineering, or technology, the University of Rochester has a great opportunity for you.

The Engineering & Applied Sciences Event will take place October 28 – 28, 2011. It is an event for students to connect with faculty and students; tour engineering labs; participate in hands-on, student-run engineering activities; spend a night in a campus dorm; and witness an annual competition.

The program is open to high school juniors and seniors.

Please look into this opportunity by visiting their website  for more information on the event and their majors. You can also find a tentative schedule and register by clicking here.

If you have any questions, contact Admissions at (585) 275-3221 or email: engineering2011@rochester.edu.

Sign Up for New CB Book Club!

It is a fact that reading is fundamental to school success, learning, & work. But did you know that reading is also fun?

Reap the Benefits of Regular Reading by joining the first ever College Bound Book Club!! Enhance your academic skills and learn about yourself and the world using meaningful discussion. You can’t lose!

The first meeting is on Tuesday, October 25th from 6 – 7:15pm. We will discuss everything pertaining to the club, do a fun activity, engage in dialogue, and pass out the books. There are separate boy and girl groups so be sure to go to your correct location. Boys: to the College Bound Office. Girls: to MLK Library (at Gallery Place Metro Stop), Room 221.

Please let us know that you plan on participating by signing up at site with your site coordinator, emailing kelsey@collegebound.org, or calling (202) 842-0858 by this Friday, October 21. This is important because we want to be sure to have enough books for everyone.

We’ve been getting great feedback and are preparing to make this a rewarding experience for you. We look forward to seeing you participate on October 25th.

CB

Be a “Nerd”

We’re sure you can name a ton of reasons why mentoring is a great thing and how it contributes to academic success. These reasons are what brought you to our students. Mentoring can make a great deal of difference in the academic achievement of students, and, consequently, their lives! This is serious business.

Not only does College Bound help prevent students from dropping out (research has shown that mentoring has significant positive effects on two early indicators of dropping out of high school: high levels of absenteeism and recurring behavior problems), but also encourages academic excellence, educational attainment, and learning in and outside of the classroom.

An analysis of mentoring program evaluations found that youth in mentoring relationships hold better attitudes and behaviors at school and are more likely to attend college than their counterparts. These are the results, with your help, that we are after!

So, it’s okay to let your student see you excited about school – even if they think you dorky at first. And students, smart is cool. Pull out the thick nerd glasses you bought since they came back in style, and get your smart on.

Mentor: Pass it On