Students who want to earn four-year college degrees and who attend selected high schools in the Austin area are invited to apply for College Forward if they are in the top 60% of their high school class and qualify for the National School Lunch Program. Students who do not meet these exact qualifications may seek nomination by a high school counselor or teacher. Our application includes a questionnaire, a personal interview, a short essay, two recommendations, and signed parent consent forms.
“In these times it is very hard to find work if you haven’t studied and that is why this program is so impor-tant. They are learning more than what they are learning in the school. It’s a great help and we are very grateful.”
—College Forward parent
Completed applications, if submitted by the deadline, are reviewed by College Forward staff members, who decide which applicants are most likely to benefit from the program.
Accepted students must agree to attend twice-weekly after-school classes (four hours per week), participate in occasional evening or weekend workshops, and perform 20 hours of community service each year of high school.
Parents or guardians of admitted students must agree to attend one Saturday workshop during their student's junior year of high school.
College Forward’s curriculum and program provide students and their parents with comprehensive information about all aspects of college selection and preparation. We also offer frequent workshops, college visits, and interaction with current college faculty, staff and students.
I love the small classes with one-on-one interaction.
—Hays High School Student
Our high school curriculum is broadly divided into four phases:
I
Fall of Junior Year
• Self-exploration
• Introduction to college options
• “Optimum Match,” selection of ten schools for initial research
II
Spring of Junior year
• Preparation for college entrance examinations
• Selection of six colleges for in-depth research
• Submission of three scholarship applications
III
Fall and Winter of Senior Year
• Final selection of six colleges
• Application completion and submission
• Submission of seven scholarship applications
IV
Spring of Senior Year
• FAFSA submission
• College retention strategies and study skills
• Financial literacy
• Evaluation of college acceptances and financial aid awards
In the summer before their senior year of high school, College Forward students are invited to participate in a five-day tour that reinforces lessons taught throughout the junior year; it enables participants to determine which size and type of college will be the best fit for their individual needs. Colleges and universities throughout Texas generously host our group for overnight visits and informational workshops. By the end of the tour, students have completed two college applications and gained a sense of what campus life is really like.
Supporters of past “College, Here We Come!” tours include:
• Blinn College
• Hardin-Simmons University
• Houston Baptist University
• McMurry University
• Rice University
• Sam Houston State University
• Southwestern University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas State University
• University of Houston
• University of St. Thomas
• University of Texas at San Antonio
The thing that I liked most about the trip was spending time with great coaches, friends and class members.
—Student on 2005 “College Here We Come!” Summer Tour
6448 Highway 290 East Suite E-108 Austin, Texas 78723 P: 512.452.4800 F: 512.452.4848
