Undebatable Relatables: Episode 3

March 31, 2022

The Undebatable Relatables

The Undebatable Relatables is a student-developed podcast. The brainchild of Pinellas County Schools’ ninth grader, Jocelyn L. (who also developed the artwork). The podcast is a collaborative effort of Pinellas County Schools’ ninth graders, Jocelyne, Anna, and Josiah (JoJo) that provides informative content by 3 exceptional students, all of whom serve on our youth leadership board.

Episode 3: Productivity Tips!: In episode, Jocelyne, Anna, and JoJo share their tips for studying, completing homework, and dealing with the overall stress of school. They candidly acknowledge the challenges of typical high school students and share the strategies they are using to balance schoolwork, homework, and extracurricular activities. Jocelyne shares interesting insight into using Khan Academy math videos; Anna shares insight into prioritizing tasks, productivity, and self motivation; and JoJo shares how to balance the therapeutic value of video games with managing your time.

On Her Way to Johns Hopkins

March 31, 2022

On Her Way to Johns Hopkins

Jocelyne L. (St. Petersburg High School)

Hello, I’m Jocelyne. I would like to tell you about my older sister, Joanne. My sister, a senior in the IB Program at St. Petersburg High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, has been offered admission, together with a full scholarship, to Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is one of the most selective schools in the US and is ranked #9 on the US News and World Reports National University Rankings (tied with Northwestern). Not only is Johns Hopkins her top choice school (where she will major in biology), but the scholarship is a huge blessing for our family. The only things not covered by her scholarship are indirect costs, such as travel expenses and personal expenses.

My sister became involved in the cohort in her sophomore year after hearing me go on and on about how wonderful the program was. At the time, I was in the 7th grade and had just completed the Pinellas County Schools College Planning Boot Camp for Middle School Students. As a seventh grader, I could not join a cohort, but she could—and she did!

In interviewing her for this article, she noted,

Through my participation in the cohort, I learned so many things that I would not have learned anywhere else such as the differences between liberal arts colleges and research universities, where I should apply Early Decision versus Regular Decision, and the financial aid policies of all of my top choice colleges. Knowing that Emory, Rice, Stanford, Duke, UPenn, and the University of Chicago would have all offered comparable institutional scholarships, there was no need to apply regular decision to ‘see if I could get in’ when I had a clear top choice—Johns Hopkins. So after being offered admission, via Early Decision to Johns Hopkins, I withdrew all of my other applications.

My sister also mentioned that the information regarding financial aid, The Net Price Calculator, and how different colleges had different financial aid policies, provided clear guidance as to the colleges with the best financial aid policies for students from lower income families. As she researched and learned, she was able to create a plan personalized for her that helped with the next steps when applying for the college of her choice. Not only did the information provided through the online curriculum greatly expand her understanding of the college admission and financial aid processes, but she received amazing support from fellow cohort members, advisors, mentors, and alumni. Some of the college interns—Sydney Soskin (University of Chicago), Peyton Wilson (George Washington), and Loren Tsang (Williams College—to name a few, supported her in the process as they helped her understand the college admissions process and figure out if the college of her choice was a good balance between her aspirations and the educational opportunities offered. With their advice and answers to her questions, my sister was able to discover that Johns Hopkins was truly the college meant for her. However, prior to arriving at this realization, she had to figure out what type of college she wanted to pursue. The cohort provided insight into the nuances between liberal arts colleges and research universities, and which type of school provided the best fit to her body of work and benefited her the most with their opportunities. When she opened the email, “Congratulations, we are pleased to offer you admission to the Johns Hopkins University Class of 2026”my sister’s friends and our family were delighted to hear the great news. Although, we were not surprised, we were incredibly proud and amazed with the scholarship of $280,000 over four years!

I asked my sister what she would say to Mr. and Mrs. Wynn, the creators of the College Planning Cohort Program, and to Dr. Lewis Brinson, the Pinellas County Schools Minority Achievement Officer who brought the program to our school district:

Thank you so very much, your help has been a huge part of my college planning process and I would not have made it this far without you. Not only did you help me apply to college, but you helped me grow as a person!

As a current 9th grader, I am looking forward to sharing my own college-bound story in 2024. However, as the president of the youth leadership board, I am looking forward to submitting articles about our many cohort students and their accomplishments. Like my older sister, I am not only grateful to be participating in a program that is guiding us along pathways to full college scholarships, but supporting and encouraging us to grow into leaders who seek to have a community impact.

Watch this space…I’m Jocelyne

NC A&T Gate City Scholarship

March 2, 2022

THE GATE CITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Gate City Alumni Chapter has established a scholarship program to assist Guilford County High School students who are pursuing a college education at North Carolina A&T State University. This scholarship is offered each year to incoming Freshman and is renewable for four (4) years as long as the student meets yearly requirements.

This scholarship program is administered by the Gate City Alumni Chapter of North Carolina A&T State University. Awards are granted without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

AWARDS

The Gate City Alumni Chapter’s scholarship is $1,250 USD per semester. Awards are for undergraduate study only. Awards are renewable for four (4) years as long as yearly requirements are met.

NC A&T Atlanta Alumni Scholarship

March 2, 2022

Atlanta Alumni Chapter – High School Scholarship

Purpose: This scholarship

represents the Atlanta Alumni Chapter’s pledge and commitment to assist the University in attracting and recruiting quality students found in metro Atlanta and surrounding areas of Georgia. The alumni are convinced that high academic achievers from Georgia are needed on the campus to serve as role models for all students matriculating at the University. Level of Award: Depending upon the applications received, a minimum of two awards will be presented to the deserving students who meet the eligibility criteria. This scholarship can include books.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to university changes in the award payment process of scholarship recipients, funds will not be dispersed until FALL semester.

Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, a candidate must:

Be a high school student from the metro Atlanta area or surrounding areas of Georgia.
Have been accepted for admission to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and be committed to attending, entering as a freshman in the Fall You must include a copy of your acceptance letter from the university in your application packet and your banner ID.
Have accumulated a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale.
Include two recommendation letters: one school official (teacher, counselor, or administrator) and one non-school official (mentor, coach, minister, or employer).

Options for submitting recommendation letters: –Teacher/educator can submit PDF letter that has school or district logo. Teacher/educator can write/submit recommendation letter via email.Non-educators (employer, coach, mentor, etc.) can submit either PDF or email.

Newsletter: March 1, 2022

March 1, 2022

Welcome to the College Cohort News
Mychal Wynn (Northeastern ’79)

We are excited to introduce student-driven content through our new “College Cohort News.” While I will continue to provide insight into pertinent actions to be taken by students in grades 9 – 12 each month, most of the newsletter content will be developed by students for students. This is part of our continuing focus on allowing opportunities for students to engage in the type of activities that colleges and scholarship providers are assessing in making their college admission and scholarship decisions:

Leadership
Service
Gifts and Talents
Community Engagement, and
Community Impact

While the primary student contributors will be members of our youth leadership board, we are seeking contributions from our college interns, current and former students, parents, and guest contributors to provide relevant and informative content.

The Undebatable Relatables
Mychal Wynn (Northeastern ’79)

The Undebatable Relatables is a student-developed podcast. The brainchild of Pinellas County Schools’ ninth grader, Jocelyn L. (who also developed the artwork), the podcast is a collaborative effort of Pinellas County Schools’ ninth graders, Jocelyne, Anna, and Josiah (JoJo). The podcast provides informative content by 3 exceptional students, all of whom serve on our youth leadership board.

Episode 1: Why Are We Here?: Jocelyne, Anna, and JoJo share their cohort experiences and how they are using the information to assist their families in avoiding student loan debt and expanding their own college access. They candidly share their initial confusion as middle school students regarding college and careers; how they discovered their gifts and talents; and how they have benefitted by their involvement with college-bound students holding similar aspirations, while being supported and guided by college students serving as mentors and advisers.

Episode 2: Relationships Romatic? Nah… Friendships!: In episode 2, Jocelyne, Anna, and JoJo share their thoughts regarding the importance of friendships and social relationships. They provide tips and strategies for avoiding conflicts and developing healthy relationships. They share their thoughts regarding the forced COVID-19 quarantine and its impact on relationships and the essential nature of supportive human contact. They also share their experiences in making their first friends in high school.

I am intrigued by their content and look forward to the amazing body of work they develop throughout high school as they continue to expand the national, and even international outreach of their podcast.

Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program (Deadline Approaching)
Jocelyne L. (St. Petersburg, FL)

I am a Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholar. Being part of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program has been incredibly beneficial and has opened many doors. I have been introduced to interesting programs, helpful camps, and educational classes. I have received incredible support from my JKCYS advisors and I have developed a close connection with peers who share similar interests and aspirations. The program surrounds students with talented and gifted scholars in an encouraging environment supported by mentors and educators. This program not only benefits students throughout their high school years, but introduces students to a community and creates skills that will assist you in the future. I encourage you to apply.

To be considered for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program, the applicant must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Grade level: Currently in 7th grade and/or entering 8th grade in the fall of 2022.
Academics: Earned all As and Bs in core academic subjects since beginning of 6th grade.
Financial Need: Demonstrate unmet financial need. We will consider applicants with family income up to $95,000. During the selection process, the Foundation will conduct a full financial review which will take into account all income and assets of the student and the student’s parents. The median family income of last year’s entering cohort of Cooke Young Scholars was approximately $40,000.
Location: Permanently reside in the United States and plan to attend high school in the U.S.

Your completed application must be submitted online by 11:59 pm in your local time zone no later than May 9, 2022. This includes all completed sections of the online application, your report cards that must be uploaded to your application, completed forms by your parent(s)/guardian(s), and submitted recommendation forms by your recommenders. Click here for full application guidelines and requirements.

In addition to the Young Scholars Program, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation provides college scholarships for both first-time college students and transfer students.

Mid-year Assessments
Mychal Wynn (Northeastern ’79)

We have wrapped up our mid-year assessments and have had great meetings with parents and students. Many students left the assessments with clear action plans for the second semester, together with a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses currently reflected in their body of work. We encourage high school juniors to stay focused on a very aggressive second semester timeline so that you finalize your college and scholarship lists by June 1. You will then be able to make the important shift to focusing on developing essays that reflect a deep understanding of the mission, vision, and core values of the colleges and scholarship programs to which you will apply.

March Discussion Groups
Mychal Wynn (Northeastern ’79)

We appreciate the efforts of students in grades 9 – 11 who have submitted their March presentations. We are looking forward to robust small group discussions at our March 12 session. The college and scholarship research in which students are currently engaged represents the purpose of the academic, leadership, and community service goals that students have been pursuing. Whether a student’s college aspirations are MIT or North Carolina A&T; a liberal arts college like Williams College or a research university like the University of Georgia; students must engage in authentic conversations about their college aspirations and the body of work they are intentionally developing to make themselves competitive candidates for being offered admission to their dream schools.

Cumberland County Schools (NC)
Mychal Wynn (Northeastern ’79)

I was honored to have been invited as one of the guest speakers for the Cumberland County Schools Black History Month Speaker Series. I had a wonderful time and appreciate the opportunity to have had my community presentation live streamed through Facebook Live. The theme, “Resilient Students and Families Overcoming the Odds,” was a perfect opportunity for me to share the stories of our resilient cohort students and college interns. Many of the 8th graders with whom I spoke at Douglas Byrd Middle School and Lewis Chapel Middle School were inspired by their examples and may very well be joining our program.

The 8th graders with whom I spoke will be making important decisions regarding their choice of high school and classes for the 2022-23 school year so I sent each interested student a copy of my college planning quick guide for high school students. The book will to provide a context for the important college planning conversations in which they will be engaging. Hopefully, they will “Own the Process” and become part of our 2022-23 9th – 10th grade cohort.

I am deeply appreciative of Cumberland County Schools, Superintendent, Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr.; Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Stacey Wilson-Norman; Associate Superintendent of Communications and Community Engagement, Dr. Lindsay A. Whitley; Integrated Academic & Behavior Facilitator for K-12 Instructional Programs, Jovan Denaut; and the many people in the district and at the schools who extended such great hospitality.

Facebook Postings…

We post important content regularly to our College Planning Cohort Facebook Page. Please ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ our page so that you stay up to date on the latest in college planning news.

UC Systems smashes record for first-year applicants (which means fewer seats for out of state students)
Top academic Black and Latino students not applying to college
What is ‘Critical Race Theory?’
Racism at Presbyterian College
Colleges where low-income students get the highest return on investment

Mark Your Calendar

Monthly Cohort Meeting: The second Saturday of each month.
March 12, 2022, 10:00 am – Noon: Monthly Cohort Session for participating students in graders 9th – 11th (click here to register; Meeting ID: 884 7893 8939). Following a panel discussion of current college students, students will present their March presentations in their Discussion Groups. Note: The session is only opened to registered students and parents. Email cpc@collegeplanningcohort.com to request a Guest Pass.

Florence School District 3 Writing Sessions – 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm — Any Grade (click here to register; Meeting ID 892 5369 6183) Monday and Wednesday.

Florence School District 3 Cohort Sessions – 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm — 9th – 12th Grades (click here to register; Meeting ID 868 3691 5004) Tuesday and Thursday.

Summer Boot Camps…
Jocelyne L. (St. Petersburg, FL)

I cannot express how much I encourage every middle school student to attend the boot camp. Each year since the summer prior to entering the 6th grade, I have attended the College Planning Boot Camp. It surprises me just how much I have actually learned from the program and how much the alumni and mentors have done for me. I joined the cohort itself once I was in eighth grade along with a group of outstanding students around my age that I began working with. Now, as a high school freshman, I am still an active student of the cohort and I serve as the President of the Youth Leadership Board. This program has impacted my life far more than I expected and I am glad that I found it that one fateful night in the Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School newsletter!

I am also proud to be part of a collaborative effort to produce an introductory video of the program and to say that I am grateful for the opportunity to work with students from throughout the country and to have a meaningful community impact for a program that has done so much for us. Click here to check out the video…

Monday – Thursday; June 6 – 9, 2022: (Grades 6 – 8) from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm daily. At this time, planned sessions are all virtual. Click here to register for the Middle School Boot Camp…

Monday – Thursday; June 13 – 16, 2022: (Grades 9 – 12) from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm daily. At this time, planned sessions are all virtual. Click here to register for the High School Boot Camp…

Each student who attends each day and completes the assigned work will receive a certificate of achievement and a set of books and materials to continue their college planning throughout middle school and high school.

Need Writing Support?

We will offer summer writing support for elementary school through high school students. For rising high school seniors, the sessions will provide guidance in selecting a Common Application topic; writing college essays and personal statements; and responding to writing prompts. During this time of holistic admissions, college essays are more important than ever. Email cpc@collegeplanningcohort.com for more information or to reserve your space.

Want to Join a Cohort?

ASA Guide Right Black Male Mentoring Program: Contact Doug Lucas: dlucasjr@aol.com
Pinellas County Schools (FL): Contact Dr. Lewis Brinson, Minority Achievement Officer: brinsonle@pcsb.org
Florence School District 3 (SC): Contact Ms. Kendra Wilson, High School Guidance Counselor: kwilson@fsd3.org
What to join our National Cohort? Click here to learn more…

Copyright © 2022 College Planning Cohorts, All rights reserved.
Thank you for supporting our mission to support student achievement and expand college access.

Our mailing address is:

College Planning Cohorts

P.O. Box 70457

Marietta, GA 30007

Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Newsletter: February 1, 2022

February 1, 2022

February 1, 2022
Mychal Wynn (Northeastern ’79)

Celebrating Black History

In February, 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and other educators and historians committed to celebrating the achievements of African Americans (which was largely unwritten in American textbooks) through the creation of Negro History Week. By the late 1960s, as black college students expanded their knowledge of the links between Africa, America, and the African Diaspora, Negro History Week became Negro History Month and eventually, Black History Month. Despite much of this cultural revolution occurring in my hometown of Chicago, as a student in Chicago Public Schools, my textbooks were largely void of African achievements pre-slavery or African-American achievements during and post-slavery. Click hereto learn more about the origins of Black History Month.

Since its publication in 1998, my book, “The Eagles who Thought They were Chickens,” has served as a source of inspiration in schools, pulpits, and play houses. I wrote the story, chronically the journey of 3 eagle eggs from their native Africa, through the African Diaspora, and onto the unfamiliar shores of America, to inspire young people to embrace their identities and spread their wings. The 3-book set (book, teacher’s guide, and student activity book) has been adopted by the Children’s Defense Fund as part of their Freedom Schools curriculum. For over 20 years, as an educator, researcher, author, and trainer, I have trained teachers in fostering positive and supportive classrooms and principals in fostering a positive and supportive school climate and culture where all students are inspired to spread their wings and pursue their dreams.

Now, some 24 years after the publication of The Eagles who Thought They were Chickens (one of my 28 published books),I am still encouraging students to spread their wings and pursue their dreams of college and careers. During February and March, cohort students are being guided through their college research, which includes Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Many of our cohort students have not only found safe and supportive spaces at these historically rich institutions of higher learning, landed full scholarships, and been exposed to internship opportunities at many Fortune 500 companies, but have engaged in learning about who they are and the shoulders upon whom they stand.

Mid-year Assessments

We have had great mid-year assessment meetings with students and parents and will continue holding one-on-one meetings throughout this month. We have enjoyed providing our recommendations in such areas as course taking, leadership, summer programs, and community service. Through these conversations, we have shared our insight into changes in college admissions, such as test optional becoming the new normal. In December, Harvard announced the continuation of its current test optional policy through 2030 and affirms what is becoming the new normal in college admissions—Holistic Admission.

“Consistent with Harvard’s whole-person admissions process, standardized tests are one factor among many considered. Accomplishments in and out of the classroom during the high school years – including extracurricular activities, community involvement, employment, and family responsibilities – are considered as part of the admissions process.”

Flippin The Story

Jayla, a high school junior in our Florence School District 3 Cohort and Media Coordinator for our youth leadership board, is intentional in her efforts to have a community impact. She has launched Flippin The Story, a blog devoted to sharing book reviews, creative writing, and articles. She is also coordinating the efforts of our youth leadership board to develop a College Planning Cohort blog, through which college students may contribute articles about their campuses and high school students may contribute articles profiling their activities, summer programs, and community service. Eventually, we envision that the blog and monthly newsletter will be totally student-led, with student-driven content.

Damian — Northeastern University

While our curriculum has always been culturally diverse through the examples of students from diverse backgrounds who have been offered admission to selective colleges and competitive scholarships, we have further updated our curriculum to ensure that it is as inspiring as it is informative. Our February Module is filled with students attending the type of institutions profiled (i.e., liberal arts college, research universities, honors programs, etc.). Damian, a student from our Florence School District 3 Cohort, is one of the students profiled. Damian joined our program as a rising high school sophomore at Lake City High School in Lake City, South Carolina. Damian, from a family of 10, is the first in his family to attend college immediately after graduating from high school. He was intentional in how he approached the cohort work and clear-eyed in his affirming, “Mr. Wynn, I will go to college anywhere that I can receive a full scholarship so that I am not a burden on my mother.”

Damian pursued leadership and service in his local community, high school, the ROTC program, and through his clubs and activities with focus and passion. His efforts were rewarded with being presented with the Lake City, South Carolina Key to the City, a $25,000 SallieMae Bridging the Dream Scholarship, and full scholarship offers from Bates College, George Washington University, and Northeastern University. The Northeastern University Torch Scholars Program is not a scholarship for which students can apply. Students must be nominated by their school counselor or a community-based organization. In this regard, with the support of the late Ms. Yvonne Scott, the former Director of College and Career Readiness for Florence School District 3, we nominated Damian for the Torch Scholars Program. Damian was one of two cohort students selected from a national pool of nominees, as a Northeastern University Torch Scholar. The full scholarship has allowed Damian to defer his $25,000 SallieMae Bridging the Dream Scholarship until he attends law school. Northeastern, my alma mater, has the premiere cooperative education program in the world. Since entering Northeastern, Damian has studied abroad twice (Africa and Europe) and has had a co-op assignment in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

Damian will appear, together with our college interns, at our February 12, 2022, cohort meeting and share their experiences at liberal arts colleges, research universities, cooperative education programs, HBCUs, and honors programs.

High School Seniors

As seniors continue to receive admission offers and financial aid award letters, we encourage students and parents to schedule 1-on-1 sessions to review financial aid awards prior to finalizing enrollment decisions. There are many factors to be considered, such as how much student loan debt students and parents are assuming, which institutional scholarships and grants are one-time versus renewable, and what the renewability criteria is for scholarships. Any senior may schedule a 1-on-1 meeting following our monthly meetings.

5th Grade Families (Thursday, February 3, 2022)

At this time next year, current Pinellas County Schools 5th grade students will be middle school students. Consequently, the Pinellas County Schools Title I Office is hosting the second of a 3-part series of presentations providing rising 6th grade students and parents with information regarding middle school choice, making a successful middle school transition, and how developing a 7-year middle school through high school college-bound plan can impact college choice and full scholarship opportunities.

Click here to register for the second session in the series on February 3, 2022, at 6:00 pm, and to hear:

A panel of amazing Pinellas County Schools middle school principals representing Bay Point Middle School, Largo Middle School, and Osceola Middle School.
A panel of current and former middle school students with tips for a great middle school experience.
Stories and see examples of how the gifts and talents revealed during the middle school years can profoundly shape a student’s college-bound trajectory and full scholarship opportunities.

Click here to download a flyer or Click here to register…