High School Open House- Opportunity for Learning

Last night I attended the open house for my daughter's high school. I have found that this is a great opportunity to learn about opportunities for scholarships.

A friend said(last night)" Wow.. This school has perfected the art of college scholarships." this school being Central High, ranked one of the top in the country by US News and World report among others. This school became known in the 50's due to refusing to integrate. It has come a long way. It is located in a decaying part of town, but parents (like me) apply for this public school and the kids fear not getting in. Why? 76% of the graduates had scholarships of some type last year. At 5pm parents could attend a program on scholarship searches, and preparing students for various testing. At 6pm information about upcoming college visits was presented, there were several other gatherings for parents to get some guidance in this endeavor. At 7pm we went from class to class- following in our kids footsteps.

Teachers encourage participation in clubs, and openly discuss with parents and students the importance of being a top student and getting coveted letters of recommendation. These clubs allow for volunteer hours, and increase the appeal of a resume. I can imagine that colleges pour over student papers day after day- and they begin to look alike. Make your child the stand out. This has to be something that you put into them and THEY want. Lots of students have top grades and are members of National Honor Society and a list of others. Joining a club that offers opportunity to learn a new skill may impress those college admission counselors (and get scholarships). For example Central offers drama students the opportunity to learn "clowning", and they perform at hospitals and local events and fund raisers. Encourage your students to think outside the traditional box. Take an activity they enjoy and help them to make it "their own". Encourage them to be creative- This is how your student will not look like every other mostly A's high schooler with pretty good ACT/ SAT scores.