9th Grade College Checklist CUNY Collaborative Programs: A NYGEAR UP Partner

9th Grade Checklist Do well in school Take the right classes Get organized Get involved Spend time with good people Make good choices Explore college and career options Learn about paying for College This presentation will discuss ways you can help your 9th grader prepare for college, beginning this year. Do well in school Take the right classes Get organized Get involved Spend time with good people Make good choices Explore college and career options Learn about paying for College

☑ Do well in school Help your child set academic and personal goals Be clear about your expectations for school Attendance in class Be a presence and advocate at the school Check your child’s grades regularly Encourage reading      First, it’s important that your child do well in school. 1. Help your child set academic and personal goals for the year in order to stay motivated and focused.       ● Discuss ways to take on challenges. Help your child understand that failure is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. 2. Be vocal about your expectations for school.      ●  Understand your child's academic growth and development. What do you expect in terms of grades, attendance, amount spent doing homework, etc? 3. Absences make a big impact on student learning; make sure your child goes to class.      ● Ensure that your child attends school as much as possible; schedule family trips during school breaks.      ● Encourage your child to participate in classes and turn in assignments on time. 4. Ask questions about your child's classes, teachers, homework and class assignments.      ●  Knowing that you care will help them take school seriously. 5. Check your child's grades regularly.      ● Keep track of weekly progress.      ● Ask school staff how you can learn about your child’s grades, opportunities for tutoring and other available services. 6. Encourage reading for pleasure.      ● Reading improves focus, concentration, imagination and knowledge.

☑ Take the right classes Ensure your child is on track to graduate Sign up for advanced classes You also want to keep track of the classes your child is taking and passing. Talk to school staff to make sure your child is on track to graduate and prepared for college.      ● Make sure your child plans to take math all four years in high school.      ● Encourage your child to take a foreign/world language Encourage your child to sign up for advanced classes.      ● Tackling tough courses can give them confidence and prepare them for higher-level classes. Encourage your child to take the most-challenging courses that he or she can handle.      ● Explore ways your child can earn college credit while still in high school.

☑ Get organized Help your child be more organized Find a quiet place to study Establish a homework routine Find a place to put important papers and documents 1. Help your child find a system to stay organized.      ● Review the school calendar together. Note important dates and put them in a shared online calendar or in an easy-to-view place, such as a bulletin board in your kitchen.      ● Encourage your child to use a paper or digital planner or calendar to keep track of school assignments and projects. 2. Help your child find a quiet, well-lit study location. 3. Establish a homework routine for your child to follow each day.      ● Promote good study skills.      ● Set limits around technology and social media. 4. Find a safe place for important documents.      ● This should include a list of activities, copies of report cards and lists of awards and honors. These will be useful for college and scholarship applications. Conversation Starters What are your goals for the school year for classes, sports, or other activities? What are your plans to achieve these goals? What is one cool thing you learned today at school? What is your favorite class in school? Why? What is the most challenging class in school? Why? Who can you ask for help?

☑ Get involved Encourage extracurricular activities Get involved yourself Look into summer programs and activities 1. Encourage your child to try something new and participate in extracurricular activities.      ● Getting involved in clubs and other groups is a great way for your child to identify interests and feel more engaged in school. 2. Get involved yourself. This will send a strong message that you think school is important.      ● Volunteer at the high school.      ● Make contact with teachers and the counselor. Know the resources at the school and make sure your student is aware that there is help when needed.      ● Attend award ceremonies, activities, sporting events etc. 3. Help your child sign up for summer programs or activities.

☑ Spend time with good people Get to know your child 's friends and their parents Find a mentor 1. Get to know your child’s friends and their parents.      ●  Peers will have an increasingly large role in your child behaviors and actions. 2. Help your child find a trusted adult or older student who can serve as a mentor.      ●  Schedule time with your child to discuss school, goals, and how life is going.

☑ Make good choices Help your child understand appropriate, safe behavior online and on the phone. Share your expectations and the risks of behaviors like drinking, doing drugs, and having sex. 1. Help your child understand appropriate, safe behavior online and on the phone.       ● Help your child to set appropriate privacy settings on social media.       ● Remind your child to only share information with people they know and trust, that information posted can live online forever, and to always ask themselves: would I want my grandma/teacher/religious leader to see this? Would I feel ok if this was posted on the walls of the high school? 2. Share your expectations and the risks of behaviors like drinking, doing drugs, and having sex.      ●  Understand your child’s social and emotional development. Conversation Starters What is one new activity that you want to try this year? Who did you eat lunch with today? Who is your favorite adult at the school? Why?

☑ Explore college and career options Talk with your child about his/her future career goals Share your expectations about college Talk about different types of colleges Make a college list Attend field trips to college campuses Visit a college campus with your child 1. Talk with your child about his/her future career goals and help make a plan. 2. Share your expectations about college attendance.       ● Talk about the importance of attending college 3. Help your child think about what is most important to him/her in a college. 4. Help your child make a list of colleges and universities that interest him/her.       ● Have your child think broadly: include two-year and four-year options as well as in-state and out-of-state choices. You can always narrow down the list later. This is a time to think and dream big.       ● Help your child research admission requirements for each college to make sure she or he is on track. 5. Find out if the school will take any field trips to college campuses and encourage your child to attend. 6. Visit a college campus with your child.       ● Volunteer as a chaperone for school field trips.       ● If you live near a college, look for upcoming events on campus that are open to the community (like sports games or theater productions) or see if the college offers classes to local students and families.

☑ Learn about paying for college You can afford college. Learn about financial aid. Set up a college savings account Search for scholarships. See if you can apply for any this year. You can afford college. Learn about financial aid.       ● Attend financial planning or how to pay for college programs. Set up and regularly contribute to a college savings account       ● Look into matched savings accounts that provide extra money for college. Encourage your child to search for scholarships and apply to any available now. Conversation Starters What job or career sounds interesting to you? What kind of education/training do you need? What is important to you in a college? What colleges are you interested in and why? Adapted from Oregon GEAR UP - http://oregongoestocollege.org/itsaplan/families-9

Resources Your GEAR UP program staff Oregon GEAR UP College Board FastWeb scholarship search Fafsa.gov

Questions?  Workshop Evaluations Additional information you may want to add to slide: Contact information Date of next parent event or workshop Exit activity Raffle Please allow time for parents to complete the workshop evaluation form, collect them, and send copies to Sarah McConnell at CUNY via fax, email, or mail. Sarah McConnell 16 Court Street, 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11241 Sarah.mcconnell@cuny.edu FAX: (718) 254-7367