Category Archives: College Readiness

Attend Black College Expo Saturday to learn about college options

Juniors, seniors encouraged to bring transcripts, SAT/ACT scores to share with university representatives

HISD middle- and high-school students and parents will be able to meet with universities and scholarship providers and learn about finding money for college when they attend the Black College Expo on Sat., Feb. 28.

The expo will be held at the J. W. Marriott Hotel, 5150 Westheimer Road, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The district has partnered with the National College Resources Foundation to offer free admission to the event with a school identification card.

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Another HISD student earns perfect score on Advanced Placement test

Last month, we shared the news that two HISD graduates had earned perfect scores on an Advanced Placement test in macroeconomics. Now, here comes Janett Ordoñez, a student at the DeBakey High School for Health Professions, who was one of just 91 students worldwide to earn every point possible on her Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Language and Culture exam. It is very rare for a student to earn a perfect score on any AP exam.

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HISD Superintendent Terry Grier focuses on global education, higher education in 2015 State of the Schools address

Placing a strong emphasis on college attendance and completion, Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier on Wednesday unveiled plans to expand the district’s successful EMERGE program and double the number of college counselors available to high school students. Continue reading

Need help applying and paying for college?

fafsa-promoFebruary is full of free events to help HISD families

Navigating the college application process and finding financial aid to pay for higher education can be somewhat daunting for both students and parents, but HISD and various community partners are here to help throughout the entire month of February.

Mark your calendars, and check below for a list of FREE fairs, expos, and events that are open to middle- and high-school parents.

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Futures Academy pharmacy students receive white coats, scrubs

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Nearly 200 HISD students in the Futures Academy of Pharmacy Technology at Jane Long Academy received white coats and scrubs during the program’s third-annual White Coat Ceremony Wednesday. Continue reading

AVID program supports low-income students’ quest for college

The desks in seventh-grade teacher Zachary Cummings’ AVID classroom at Hamilton Middle School are arranged so that students can work in groups. Collaboration is one of the five hallmarks of AVID, along with reading, writing, inquiry, and organization.

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Cummings’ students recently quizzed each other on Cornell notes they took on a PowerPoint presentation about the history of Apple Inc. Cornell notes are just one example of college-level study techniques students learn in AVID, a global nonprofit organization directed at students who are capable of completing a college-preparatory path if they receive the proper support. The focus is on low-income students whose families don’t traditionally attend college.

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EMERGE scholars reunite to reflect on college experience, prepare for internships

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Graduates of HISD’s EMERGE program reflected on their first semester of college and learned how to begin a summer internship search during a “homecoming” event held especially for them on Jan. 6. The EMERGE Scholar Homecoming, which took place at the University of Houston, reunited students who came home for the winter break from colleges such as Columbia University, Oberlin College, Smith College, and Yale University.  Continue reading

College acceptance letters start arriving for members of Class of 2015

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Lamar senior Tyra Jenkins poses with the acceptance letter she received from Cornell University. Cornell is her dream school, and she plans to attend it in the fall.

Graduating seniors are starting to discover where their quest for higher education will take them this fall, as colleges and universities across the country are sending out letters of acceptance to those who applied for admission early.

More than two dozen students in the district’s EMERGE program have already received either early decision or early action notices from top tier schools, including Stanford, Notre Dame, Rice, Cornell, and Harvard.   Continue reading

Senior challenges giving students extra incentive to apply to college

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Completing college and financial aid applications early often yields its own rewards, but for students at two HISD campuses, it could also mean a free ticket to the senior prom or a day spent shadowing an admired professional.

Sharpstown High School Principal Rob Gasparello launched the Senior Challenge at his campus last fall, and students who meet all criteria are eligible to attend both the senior prom and the annual senior trip for free.  Continue reading

International students take steps toward college at Dream Summit 

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Challenge Early College High School student Michael Diaz Dominguez came to HISD’s first-ever Dream Summit not for himself, but for his family and friends who are undocumented and perhaps a bit hesitant to attend a college fair for international students.  Continue reading