The University of California announced on Tuesday a partnership with the College Board to better prepare low-income students from minority backgrounds in California for college admission.
Under the “All In” campaign, the UC’s Early Academic Outreach Program will work with the College Board to help high schools identify high-achieving students using measures such as Preliminary SAT scores.
The partnership will also aim to encourage students to take Advanced Placement courses and the PSAT, a test usually taken by 10th or 11th grade students.
“We just wanted people to be more aware of academic experiences,” said UC spokeswoman Shelly Meron.
As part of the partnership, the College Board will provide the UC and teachers with a list of students with high PSAT scores and preparation materials as well as other resources for AP tests, Meron said.
Meron said the UC is encouraging students to take the test and classes because they may help with students’ test-taking skills and provide students with opportunities for scholarships. Students who score in the top 1 percent in their state on the PSAT are eligible for a National Merit Scholarship.
However, the College Board said that about 30 percent of students with “AP potential” PSAT scores did not take a matched AP course, according to the press release announcing the partnership.
“The test does identify students with potential to succeed,” said College Board spokesman Zachary Goldberg.
Meron said the UC’s Early Academic Outreach Program will work with its partner high schools in districts such as the Los Angeles Unified School District. Because the project already utilizes existing staff and resources, the University doesn’t expect a need for significant funding, Meron said.
UC President Janet Napolitano announced in January that the University would work with the College Board to identify high-performing students and develop strategies for outreach, such as broad-based mailing of college admission information. She also sent out a letter last spring encouraging low-income students with high PSAT scores to apply to the UC campuses.
Compiled by Jeong Park, Bruin senior staff.
Dear Daily Bruin,
You know what would really help? For schools to actually take the time to truly stress the importance of the PSAT. This test is a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really (ad infinitum) important indicator on so many levels, since it is used by a variety of groups/stakeholders to establish certain things (as we see in this article). Far too many individuals (myself included) did not realize the importance of this test until after taking it, and by then it was too late.
Why do students not take AP courses to match their “PSAT potential”? Variety of reasons, but the top consideration is money. It costs money to take an AP test. It costs money in extra time spent studying to do well (and therefore not working to help support the family or help pay for individual costs). Also, oftentimes students do not understand the importance of taking AP classes, or that getting a B+ in an AP class is so much better than getting an A in some “normal” class. From our ivory tower we give credence to a “rational actor” theory of human action, but high schoolers, quite frankly, are not rational actors. Every single one has a different lived experience, but I know from experience that those from lower-income families have far more important struggles in their minds than the path needed to pursue higher education. Things like getting a job to help take care of the family, or to help cover medical expenses or (fill in the blank) take priority. You could have truly brilliant individuals who unfortunately can’t devote much time if any at all to schoolwork as they need to work to support themselves or their families.
Anyways, colleges look very favorably on students who challenge themselves and take an AP class (preferably multiple), even if they, in the end, decide to not take the exam (though it saddens me when I observe this happening and interview individuals and find out it is because they lacked the means or awareness of fee waivers and other ways of covering the costs for AP tests so they decided to not take it).
Our college system heavily favors the wealthier classes of society, as the SAT is well-known to be a teachable test, and who else but the upper-middle class to the wealthy can afford to provide their children with the top-notch tutoring and other instructional advantage, or for their children to have the free time to engage with these types of efforts?
Also, public high schools need far better college admission’s counselors. There are guidance counselors, yes, but it is really crucial to have someone whose entire job is to assist students in understanding what is needed to access higher education learning opportunities, and for them to talk to students in the 9th grade, or preferably the 8th grade. Many students do not realize that from 9th grade on grades actually matter for their future. Your GPA as a student seriously matters for getting into higher education institutions, and that C or whatever that a student got as a freshman could have easily been averted if they realized the importance of the classes they’re taking. From my perspective, most individuals have the capacity to do well in high school – a lot of it has to do with priorities and weighing one activity over another based on life circumstances and upbringing.
Unfortunately, guidance counselors are a true hit and miss, and oftentimes they are overworked (1 person for 500 students is a bit much) and their knowledge may be seriously outdated. Having someone who is passionate about helping students attain their higher education goals is critical. I know that I, for one, wished that my school had assigned me to a better counselor. I can only speak from anecdotal experience and from my queries of other people’s experiences. The counselor my twin brother and I had was absolutely terrible. She even told my brother in the presence of my mother that he had zero chance of getting into a school he was obviously qualified for (he got in), and this was utterly disastrous. She told me to look at 2nd tier schools when I had the credentials to easily get into many top tier schools. It really concerned me. Too many times I hear stories of guidance counselors providing terrible advice, that is even sometimes detrimental to student’s efforts to seek higher education. Our public high schools need a serious moment of introspection and should focus on hiring or creating a position for a higher education specific employee whose entire job is to guide students in their higher education pursuits.
Best,
Matthew P. FitzGerald
J.D. Candidate UCLA Law Class of 2017
B.A. International Studies, Conc: Global Health
& Italian Studies, University of Washington-Seattle June 2012