This past year has been A YEAR … and though we may be starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is no doubt that the pandemic has left its permanent mark on so many aspects of our lives. In the field of education, we have seen the heartbreaking impact of remote learning, especially on those furthest from opportunity. More than ever before, the CAP team remained vigilant in modifying our services to virtual offerings in order to best support our PUSD students and families.
Through many of these changes, I see incredible examples of how our team upheld CAP’s main priority—putting students and families first—and I am so excited to share a few program updates with you!
At a glance, the first thing an avid CAPper may notice is the absence of our fall and spring SAT prep workshop series, which should come as no surprise considering many colleges and universities made test scores an optional part of their application process. At CAP, we consider this change to be a groundbreaking victory because we know standardized testing is not an indicator of student success and does not forecast persistence in college. Test-optional is long overdue and exactly what our students need as they emerge from an isolating pandemic that compounded stress and barriers for them.
After much needed celebration, we went back to the drawing board to reshape our programming and concentrate on the elements of the admission process that do have the most weight on a student’s application. And, in true CAP fashion, what came about was truly in response to student need.
This spring, our high school team launched College 101, a new five-week workshop available for PUSD juniors. The series was developed by the High School team, led by HS Program Manager Katie and taught by High School Program Coordinators Cynthia and Natalie, who ensured that more than 80 students learned about the holistic college application process and financial aid options and felt empowered in preparation for fall application season.
Throughout the workshop, students remained engaged by continuing their communication through Google Classroom, which included supplementary materials and activities to prepare for application season. At the end of the workshop, many students provided insightful feedback, sharing that they enjoyed how engaging and informative the experience was and felt they built the confidence to take charge of their application process.
Our first College 101 offering was a success, and we look forward to offering it again every spring! With further efforts to improve the quality of college access support for PUSD students, CAP is also preparing for a new fall workshop series to support seniors with Personal Statement and Essay Writing. Stay tuned for details!
At the end of the workshop, many students provided insightful feedback, sharing that they enjoyed how engaging and informative the experience was and felt they built the confidence to take charge of their application process:
I found this workshop extremely helpful. I think this is a great way to give students a head start in the college admissions process. I’m extremely thankful for CAP for giving me a better idea of what I need to do to succeed. Please continue to hold these sessions for future students. Thank you so much!!!
– Pasadena HS studentI like how we went over a variety of essay submissions, so I could see examples of what colleges want to see in applicants.
– John Muir HS studentI enjoyed that we got to collaborate with our peers and students from other schools, especially since we didn’t get to do that at school due to the pandemic. The most useful aspect of the program were the presentations full of information.
– Marshall Fundamental student
