Program Helps Guide Students to College

Waukegan High 1 of 5 schools in state in College Guides program

September 9, 2008, Lake County News Sun - By Ryan Pagelow

Guadalupe Montoya's parents didn't go to college, or finish high school. The 17-year-old Waukegan High School senior was on his own to figure out how to apply to college this year.

A new program is helping guide Montoya through the college application process. Waukegan High is one of five state high schools in underserved communities participating in a yearlong Illinois College Guides pilot program through the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

With help from the college guide, Montoya is making a short list of schools he's considering attending to study business, such as Northern Illinois University and the College of Lake County. Montoya has also scheduled to retake the ACT college entrance exam on a day when exam fees are waived.

Montoya tried to get info about colleges last year, he said, but the school's eight guidance counselors were spread thin among the school's 4,000 students. Besides supporting students in their post-secondary choices, guidance counselor duties include making sure students were on track for graduation and working with students who may have family issues.

"They weren't into college talk. They were into changing schedules," Montoya said.

Under the college guides program, a recent University of Illinois is assigned to the school to assist students with every step of the college admission process, such as conducting parent outreach, financial aid training, SAT/ACT preparation workshops, college visits and individual counseling.

Eduardo Alvarez, a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Illinois at Springfield, is the college guide for Waukegan High. He grew up in West Chicago and didn't get assistance applying to college at his high school. He missed some application deadlines and ended up going to the College of DuPage for two years until he transferred to the UIS with a scholarship to play soccer, he said.

He's bilingual and can talk to students intimidated by the college application process.

"They have the motivation and they have the skills to go to college, they just need a little push," he said. "Sometimes it's the smallest thing like knowing about a deadline."

In addition to the college guide, this year the high school has one guidance counselor assigned to spend half of his time as a college counselor, said Waukegan High Principal Steve Hamlin.

"It supports one of our school improvement goals to support a college-going culture," he said. "Many of our students that do go to college are first generation college-goers. That's a significant challenge to overcome."

The Schuler Scholars Program also guides Waukegan students through the college application process. A partnership with the College of Lake County also provides grant money to tutor students after school and Saturday college visits.

The cost for the first year of the Illinois College Guides program statewide is $200,000 from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, said Claude Walker, a commission spokesman. For their 10-month commitment, each college guide will receive a $23,000 stipend, which includes $5,000 for future education costs or student loan forgiveness. They receive a five-week training on financial aid, admissions counseling, test prep and parent outreach strategies.

The other Illinois high schools participating in the program include two in Chicago, one in Springfield and one in Rantoul.

"Most of the schools have a counselor ratio of 400 or 500 to 1. This will really help," Walker said. "We walk them through the whole process."