College Matching Activity
1) In pairs, students look at ONE of the student statements (Khari, Melinda, Gloria, Anthony). Using the attached sheet, they should write down 4 things that they think are most important to that students
2) They then walk around the room looking at the descriptions of colleges (could be made into laminated posters and re-used) and trying to decide which school(s) would be a good match for their student. They should use the second column on the sheet to jot down notes on this.
3) After walking around and taking notes, students should come up with 2-3 colleges that they think would be a good match for their student, and explain why.
4) Paris then share back with the larger group, answering the following questions:
· What criteria did you use to choose the college?
· What do you have in common with – and in what ways are you different from – the student whose persona you took on for this activity?
· Of the colleges you read about here today, which one are you most interested in finding out more about? What steps do you need to take to meet the college’s requirements for entry?
Follow-up activity:
Students draft a “profile” for themselves and then, using collegeboard.com, they find one college that they think might be good for them/that they want to learn more about.
College Matching Chart
Your names: ______
Name of the student whose profile you are researching: ______
What’s important to ______?(read their description) / Where can he/she find it?
(read the college descriptions
around the room)
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are 2-3 colleges that match up with your student, including their academic and social interests, how far from home they want to go, and their GPA and SAT scores (which will enable them to be accepted at the school)? For each one you list, explain why you think it is a good match.
1.
2.
3.
Student Statements
Khari (Spring, Junior Year)
I want to go to college to study business. I don’t really know what I want to focus on within business but I know I want to have the option of majoring in business. I don’t care whether I go to school in New York City or not. Being at a college where there is a good number of other African-American students is important to me – I don’t want to feel too out of place. I definitely want to go to a college where there are a lot of things happening on campus: I am pretty social and I don’t like to sit around and be bored. I like sports, not so much playing, but it would definitely be fun to go to basketball games or something like that. I haven’t thought about paying for college, really; it seems expensive, but I’m just going to worry about that when it gets a little bit closer. My GPA is 3.3 (85) and my SAT score is 1000 (math and verbal).
Melinda (Spring, Junior Year)
I love learning but I have no idea what I want to be after college. I am hoping that going to college will help me to figure that out. I love to read and write and I like learning about different groups of people, their history, their identity, stuff like that. I don’t know if I would want to major in something like that – I also really like history and I think psychology but I am not totally sure what that is. I want a school that’s not too big – my middle school was really small and so is my high school. And I really want to leave New York City – I have been here my whole life and I think it is time for me to see some other places. I don’t need to go so far away – I just don’t want to be in the city. I am pretty involved in high school with acting and dance, so it would be good if the college I went to had clubs or something where I could do that too. My grades are pretty good, so I’m hoping to be able to get a scholarship to college. My GPA is 3.6 (92) and my SAT score is 1200.
Gloria (Spring, Junior Year)
I want to go to college but I am not really sure where. Four years sounds like a long time, so maybe two years would be better. My mom says I should be an accountant, but I don’t really like math that much. I like computers and I’m pretty good with them so maybe I should study that? My mom says it’s important to be able to get a job when you graduate, so I need something that will help me with that. I don’t have to be in New York City but if I did go away I really don’t want to be too far away. I have three younger siblings and I know my mom needs me to help with them. If I did go away I would want to be close enough to come home on the weekends. I also don’t have to go away. I just am not sure about that part of college. I’m also not sure about how to pay for college; I know my mom can’t help, so I’m on my own for that. My GPA is a 2.5 (75) and my SAT score is 800.
Anthony (Spring, Junior Year)
I don’t want to go to college. I know lots of people think I should go but I would rather just work after high school. I am not exactly sure what I will do – maybe work in a restaurant. My GPA is a 75 and I did not take the SATs. I don’t even know if I could get into college even if I wanted to go.
College Descriptions
Adelphi University is a mid-sized private college on Long Island, New York – located about 45 minutes by car or train from New York City. Adelphi offers many different majors but the biggest ones are business, psychology and social studies education. There are internships offered in several areas. The student population is 63% White, 16% African-American, 12% Latino, and 8% Asian-American. There are many on-campus activities – a small number of fraternities and sororities, 76 groups/clubs, 9 competitive sports teams for men and 11 for women. Most students live on campus. GPA required: 2.5. SAT score: 1000.
Hunter College is a large CUNY college – City University of New York public college – located in New York City. Hunter offers many different majors including business, creative writing, Latin American studies, African-American studies, nursing and psychology. There is a Center for Puerto Rican studies on campus which attracts some of the strongest scholars in Latin American studies. The student population is 40% White, 21% Latino, 17% African-American, and 15% Asian American. The college has several clubs and 9 sports teams for men and 11 for women. No students live on campus. Average GPA: 88. Average SAT: 1170. SEEK: Average GPA– 82, Average SAT – 1063.
Fashion Institute of Technology is a medium sized SUNY college – State University of New York public college – located in New York City. FIT focuses on majors related to the fashion design industry – the largest of them are fashion merchandising management, fashion design and communications design. Internships are available. It offers Associates and Bachelors degrees. The student population is 43% White, 13% Asian, 10% Latino, 8% African-American. There are no fraternities or sororities, 70 groups/clubs on-campus– many related to the arts – and 4 competitive sports teams for men and 4 for women. Few students live on campus. Required GPA: 85. Average SAT: SAT not required. EOP: Required GPA – 73-84.
Wesleyan University is a small, private liberal arts college located in Connecticut, approximately two-and-a-half hours driving distance from New York City. Many majors are offered at the college – ranging from sciences to languages to cultural studies to government to English to history. Study abroad programs are available in 41 countries. The student population is 70% White, 11% African-American, 11% Asian, and 8% Latino. There is a strong campus community with a handful of fraternities and sororities, 190 groups/clubs, 15 competitive sports teams for men and 14 for women. Most students live on campus. Average GPA: 90. Average SAT: 1420.
John Jay College is a large CUNY college – City University of New York public college – located in New York City. The college focuses on criminal justice with majors in everything from forensic science to law enforcement to criminology. Co-op programs and internships are available (including at District Attorney Offices, NYPD, and US Department of Corrections). The student population is 35% Latino, 25% African-American, 23% White, and 17% Asian. There are no fraternities or sororities, 26 groups/clubs, 5 competitive sports teams for men and 5 for women. No students live on campus. Average GPA: 84. Average SAT: 995. SEEK: Average GPA – 78, Average SAT – 770.
SUNY Purchase is a small SUNY college – State University of New York public college – located approximately one hour by train or car outside of New York City. While Purchase offers liberal arts programs with majors in many areas of study it has a strong focus on the arts – with conservatories in acting, music, dance, film, and visual arts. There is an arts museum on campus and a performing arts center. The student population is 78% White, 10% Latino, 8% African-American, and 4% Asian-American. There are no fraternities or sororities, over 40 on-campus clubs, 4 competitive sports teams for men and 5 for women. Most students live on campus. Average GPA: 85. Average SAT: 1100. EOP: Average GPA – ranges. Average SAT – 900.
Howard University is a mid-sized historically-Black private college located in Washington D.C. – approximately four hours by car or train from New York City. Howard offers many majors – ranging from the sciences, to business, to computers, to education – with the strongest being psychology, business and engineering. The student population is 86% African-American. There are four historically Black fraternities on campus, 150 groups/clubs on campus, 15 competitive sports teams for men and 15 for women. Most students live on campus. Average GPA: 3.0. Average SAT: 1020.
Johnson and Wales College is a mid to large sized private college in Providence, RI – approximately four hours by train or car from New York City. While Johnson and Wales offers a range of liberal arts majors it has a strong focus on career-focused majors the strongest being culinary arts, hotel/restaurant management, and accounting. It offers both Associates and Bachelors degrees. Most majors require an internship where students get credit for work experience. The college runs its own hotel within Rhode Island. The student population is 75% White and 11% African-American. There are a few fraternities and sororities on campus, 80 groups/clubs, 9 competitive sports teams for men and 8 for women. Most students live on campus. Required GPA: 2.5. Average SAT: Not required.
New York City College of Technology (City Tech) is a large CUNY college – City University of New York public college – located in Brooklyn, NY. City Tech offers Associates and Bachelors degrees in a variety of majors including hotel/restaurant management, telecommunications, vocational education, printing technology, and human services but the strongest majors are within computer systems. The student population is 42% African-American, 29% Latino, 14% Asian-American and 11% White. There are no fraternities or sororities on campus, 25 groups/clubs, 6 competitive sports teams for men and 7 for women. No one lives on campus. Average GPA: 77. Average SAT: 834. SEEK: Average GPA – 72, Average SAT- 780.
SUNY Old Westbury is a small SUNY college – State University of New York public college – located in Long Island approximately 45 minutes by train or car from New York City. The college offers a range of liberal arts majors with teacher education, business and psychology being the strongest. The student population is 33% White, 26% African-American, and 14% Latino. There are several sororities but no fraternities, 70 groups/clubs on campus, 10 competitive sports teams for men and 11 for women. Most students live on campus. Average GPA: 85. Average SAT: 1040. EOP – Average GPA 78-80, Average SAT – 800-900.
Barnard College is a small, private, all women’s college in New York City. It is connected to Columbia University and so students can take courses at Columbia – a co-ed school – as well as courses at Barnard. Barnard offers a range of majors – the strongest are English, Psychology, and economics. The student population is 66% White, 19% Asian-American, and 13% African-American or Latina. There are no sororities at Barnard, there are 100 groups/clubs on campus, and 15 competitive sports teams. Most students live on campus. Average GPA: 3.9. Average SAT: 1340 (reading and math). HEOP: GPA – 3.3, SAT: 1220 (reading and math).
SUNY Farmingdale is a small SUNY – State University of New York public college – located on Long Island approximately one hour from New York City. Farmingdale offers both Bachelors and Associates degrees in a variety of career-oriented and liberal arts areas including Automotive Engineering, Business, Computer Science, Dental Hygiene, and Nursing. The student population is 62% White, 13.5% African-American, 9.6% Latino, and 4.4% Asian. There are no fraternities or sororities, 32 groups/clubs on campus, 7 competitive sports teams for men and 5 for women. Most students commute to the campus though there is housing for those who don’t. Required GPA: 3.0. Average SAT: 1000. EOP: Required GPA, 2.5, Average SAT: 850-1000.
Kingsborough Community College is a community college within the CUNY system – City University of New York. It is a public college. It is in Brooklyn, in Sheepshead Bay, right on the beach. Kingsborough offers over 28 Associates degrees in both liberal arts and career-oriented majors, including: business, biology, communications (radio and TV broadcast), computers, teaching assistant, health professions (nursing), mechanics and visual arts. The student population is 66% women and 44% men; 40% White, 33% African or Caribbean American, 16% Latino, and 13% Asian. There are no sororities or fraternities but there are clubs as well as athletic teams including: baseball, basketball, racquetball, soccer softball, table tennis, track and field, and volleyball. All students commute to campus. Kingsborough has “open admissions” to all students who have graduated from high school or have a GED. The average high school GPA for entering students is 72-75. SATs are not required.