Photo by Gabriel Goodwin
Oakland University Admissions Advisor Mike Brennan (left) answers questions about the university’s medical program from Allen Park High School junior Eli Taylor, sophomore Briana Arnold, and her father, Chas Arnold, during College NIght. The students had the chance to speak with representatives of 22 college — including Lawrence Technological University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Alma College — and said the night was a “wonderful experience” because they did not feel rushed through their interactions with the colleges.
By GABRIEL GOODWIN
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK — Students were given the chance to “peer into their future” with access to 22 colleges Wednesday during College Night at Allen Park High School.
“We want to tie their education they get here with their future, so it hopefully will make sense to them and push them to work a little harder,” APHS Counselor Jeannette MacDonald said. “With the right information, the students could correlate hard work now with future success.”
MacDonald said interacting with the college recruiters gives students the opportunity to make connections between grade point averages, ACT and SAT scores, and a school they want to attend.
“The event gives students the experience of speaking with recruiters to get a feel for what they want to do, where they may want to go to, and what goals they should set for themselves,” MacDonald said. “We aren’t just soliciting seniors. We want students from all grade levels and even students that aren’t in high school yet.”
College Night provides more recruiters and better access to information, she said, because the recruiters usually come in during the fall to speak with students. MacDonald said recruiters usually come into the counseling office one school at a time, but the students may be hesitant to attend because tests or reviews and miss out on the opportunity.
Most students think about college, she said, but don’t know what is required of them until it is too late. MacDonald would have liked to have seen more students at the event, but she said this was the first year it was held in the school’s foyer.
MacDonald was encouraged by this year’s attendance within the new location, she said, and it seems to be moving in the right direction. She said the recruiters reached a lot of students and parents about the programs and details specific to their college.
“We would like them to hear from the colleges about the scholarships or financial aid opportunities may be available to them,” MacDonald said. “This information lets them know if their family can’t afford to send them to college, then there are still ways to go. We don’t want them to give up before they even start.”
(Gabriel Goodwin can be reached at [email protected])