Category Archives: College Readiness

#EMERGEtour ends at Brown, Stonehill

The final day of a tour of northeast colleges and Universities by HISD EMERGE students meant stops at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass., and historic Brown University in Providence, R.I. The #EMERGEtour is took more than 95 students from 15 HISD high schools to nine top-tier university campuses last week.

Here are the students’ impressions of tour Day 4, in their own words: Continue reading

Liberal arts colleges are focus of #EMERGEtour Day 3

Day 3 of four-day tour by HISD EMERGE students highlighted three of the northeast’s strongest liberal arts schools — Brandeis, Clark, and Boston College. The two private colleges and one private university consistently rank high on various higher education listings, including U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges.

The #EMERGEtour is taking more than 95 students from 15 HISD high schools to nine top-tier university campuses this week.

Here are the students’ impressions of tour Day 3, in their own words: Continue reading

EMERGE students tour nine top-tier universities in four days

In what can be described as a super-charged dose of college “realness,” EMERGE students from 15 HISD high schools completed a whirlwind tour of some of the top colleges and universities in the nation in only four days, from June 1-4. More than 80 sophomores and juniors toured Tufts, Harvard, MIT, Clark, Brandeis, Stonehill, Brown, Boston College and Northeastern University, talked to current students and found out what it takes to get in…and stay in.

Students, many of whom will be the first in their family to attend college or university, had the chance to eat in the dining halls with current Ivy Leaguers, attend panels on subjects such the role of cultural centers on academic success, and even engage in time-honored traditions such as “painting the cannon” at Tufts University. They also received advice from current students and admissions counselors on financial aid and the affordability of higher education.

More importantly, the trip gave many high-schoolers a renewed sense of purpose. “Knowing that I have a real chance of attending one of these amazing schools, such as Harvard or Tufts, has created a sense a hope that I didn’t have three days ago,” said junior Giovanna DeLeon. “Realizing that our economic background is not something that needs to define us or whether or not we should or can go to college is powerful.”

The EMERGE program encourages and prepares talented HISD students from underserved communities to successfully attend and graduate from Ivy League and other top-tier colleges.

HISD will soon be launching an EMERGE blog to highlight these students’ journeys throughout the next year. In the meantime, you can read the first few entries from Day 1 and Day 2, and visit the HISD News blog at https://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/ for regular updates. You can also follow the students on Twitter using the hashtag #EMERGETour.

HISD junior: ‘Our economic background doesn’t define us’

Day 2 of HISD’s EMERGE Northeast college and university tour included trips to Harvard and MIT, where students got to walk in the footsteps of such notable alumni as  W.E.B. Du Bois (Harvard),  Buzz Aldrin (MIT), Richard Feynman (MIT) and President Barack Obama (Harvard). The #EMERGEtour will take more than 95 students from 15 HISD high schools to nine top-tier university campuses this week.

Here are the student’s impressions of their second day, in their own words: Continue reading

Northeastern, Tufts students talk college experience on #EMERGEtour Day 1

Juniors and seniors in HISD’s EMERGE fellowship program got to hear firsthand Monday what attending a top-tier university is really like on the first day of a whirlwind tour of nine Northeast college and universities.

EMERGE students from 15 HISD high schools toured Tufts and Northeastern University and heard from students about what it is like to be the first in their family to go to college.

Here’s what EMERGE students thought of their initial day: Continue reading

EMERGE students head east to tour historic colleges

Ninety-four Houston ISD juniors and seniors are touring nine historic college campuses this week, from June 1 through June 5, as part of the district’s EMERGE program for high-performing, low-income students.

Students from 15 high schools, who departed Houston early Sunday morning, are attending panel discussions, information sessions and workshops at:
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HISD students awarded nearly $2M worth of HLSR scholarships

 (JACKRIGBY HudsonOH)

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo awarded more than $7 million worth of scholarships to 394 students in 77 school districts. More than 100 Houston ISD students received scholarships worth $18,000 each.

More than 100 students from the Houston Independent School District were awarded a total of $1,836,000 worth of scholarships from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Wednesday.

Fifty-eight students were awarded “metropolitan” scholarships, each worth $18,000 over four years. Students had to be in the top 25 percent of their class, score 1350 on the SAT, or score 19 on the ACT to qualify.

Forty-four students were awarded “opportunity” scholarships, each worth $18,000 over four years. Students had to be in the top 50 percent of their class, score 1300 on the SAT, or score 18 on the ACT to qualify.

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EMERGE students help Eastwood Academy classmates excel

Last year, a pair of juniors in the EMERGE program at Eastwood Academy had a thought: EMERGE prepares high-performing students from underserved communities to successfully attend and graduate from Ivy League and other top-tier colleges. Maybe EMERGE students could volunteer to help other students study? And with that spark of inspiration, Students With Academic Grit – or SWAG – was born.

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SAT School Day offered at no cost to high school juniors

Houston ISD students will take the SAT college admission test at district high schools Wednesday, during what is a called SAT School Day. The district-wide initiative gives juniors the opportunity to take the test during a normal school day at no cost.

“This is a great opportunity for high school juniors to overcome barriers of any kind and focus on taking the SAT,” said Assistant Superintendent for College Readiness Rick Cruz. “More than 9,000 students at all HISD high schools will take advantage of the testing day.”

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