Reenvisioning College Admissions

It’s that time of year again. College applications are in. Now it’s time for seniors, their parents, and counselors to sit and wait. And reflect.

Anyone close to the college admission process understands the stress and uncertainty involved. The stakes are high for kids whose dreams rest firmly in the hands of admission officials who barely know them – and who must somehow glean the essence of these young lives from a few essays, test scores, grades, and lists of extra-curricular activities. When so much rests on so little, it’s no wonder that students load up on advanced placement classes, sign up for as many activities as they can fit in the day, take and retake standardized tests, and concoct exotic community service projects, sometimes in faraway lands. College admissions are highly competitive. And motivated kids will go to extraordinary lengths to grab the attention of their dream schools. The process is ripe for stress, burn out, and disappointment – and for low-income students, all the more daunting as the bar for what constitutes a competitive application inches up each year – so high, some students feel excluded.

Those of us waiting alongside our high school seniors were heartened to read a report published recently by the Making Caring Common project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The authors of Turning the Tide hope to shift the focus of college admissions from personal achievement alone to one that values ethical engagement, reduces academic pressure, and levels the playing field for an economically diverse population.

There is much to like in the report, with benefits for all students. Here are a few highlights for low-income youth:

•  “The admissions process should clearly send the message…that not only community engagement and service, but also students’ family contributions, such as caring for younger siblings, taking on major household duties or working outside the home to provide needed income, are highly valued in the admission process.”
• “Admissions offices…should work together to reduce unfair advantages…associated with admission tests (SAT and ACT).”
• “In many communities, students lack access to key academic opportunities and resources…It’s vital that the admissions process consider this…in assessing students and not create a threshold…that some students will not be able to cross.”

Frank Bruni of the New York Times wrote of the report, “Colleges are becoming more conscious of their roles — too frequently neglected — in social mobility. They’re recognizing how many admissions measures favor students from affluent families.”

With a long list of colleges endorsing the report, it seems likely that policies will change. Especially viewed as part of a larger trend which includes the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success (a new consortium of more than 90 colleges committed to making “college affordable and accessible for all students”) as well as the steady increase in test-optional colleges.

At Breakthrough Silicon Valley, we hope that these initiatives together will “turn the tide.” We look forward to hearing more in months to come.

In the meantime, congratulations to our seniors for their hard work this fall. You make us proud every day.

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Can "SAT/ACT Optional" Admissions Open Doors to Equity at America's Selective Colleges?

Can "SAT/ACT Optional" Admissions Open Doors to Equity at America's Selective Colleges?

Imagine a straight-A student, a leader in her school community who dreams of attending a selective private college known for topnotch professors and an excellent classroom experience – a school like George Washington University, Macalester College, Mount Holyoke College, Trinity College, or Wesleyan University. Our student looks forward to being the first in her family to attend college. Her parents never had the opportunity in Mexico.

This bright young woman works hard and has demonstrated her abilities in school, year after year after year. She’s a standout among her peers and is recognized as such by her teachers. Those around her assume the future holds many options for one so accomplished.

Imagine this same student struggling on the SAT. Despite diligent preparation and focused effort on test day her scores fall short. She feels they don’t accurately measure her capabilities. Discouraged, she wonders if her sights have been set too high. A hint of self-doubt surfaces for the first time. Such a scenario is all too prevalent for some students. Accomplished Latino, Black, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students often fail to perform as highly as their White peers on standardized tests – in large part because of the lack of resources they experience in life.

The prevailing advice to these students might be to recalibrate their college expectations. Aim for something more “realistic,” like community college. But at Breakthrough Silicon Valley, College Counselor, Jenny Uribe, actually suggests that students add schools like Trinity and Wesleyan to their lists, especially if their academic records shine, even if their test scores don’t.

What Uribe knows is that a growing number of four-year colleges and universities no longer require applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. The New York Times reports that this year alone 47 schools have dropped their testing requirements. And according to The National Center for Fair and Open Testing’s FairTest database, more than 800 colleges and universities have chosen to de-emphasize test scores in the admission process.

Early adopters of test optional policies, like Bates College in Maine, report that standardized tests don’t necessarily predict college performance. High school grades and teacher recommendations are more reliable predictors. And as colleges strive to increase racial and socioeconomic diversity on campus, eliminating testing requirements is a big step in the right direction. Case in point, our straight-A Breakthrough student, an outstanding candidate that any top college would want the chance to consider as an applicant, but who may have shied away from applying to selective colleges requiring that she report test scores that she knows fail to reflect her full potential.

Some critics of test optional practices claim they have failed to deliver on the promise to increase diversity on campus. And while it may be true that in some settings, diversity has been slow to change, institutions with a long history of test optional practices have seen steady improvements over time. These schools understand that test optional policies are an important component of a strategy to not only increase campus diversity, but to open doors to equity and opportunity in higher education for underserved youth.

*Despite the fact that many college and universities are going test-optional, the reality is that the majority still require students to submit test scores with their applications. Breakthrough Silicon Valley cannot ignore the remaining importance of college admittance test scores, their impact on student college choice and student financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Breakthrough Silicon Valley offers a 30-hour ACT preparation course for juniors. Students of a similar demographic to our own have statistically performed below the average, which may prevent them from receiving merit scholarships or acceptance to certain universities. $500 underwrites an ACT prep course for one of our juniors. Click here to underwrite a test-prep course for an academically motivated, low-income student and make their collegiate dreams come true.

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Why should Silicon Valley companies care about SB-359?

New bill addresses diversity in STEM pipeline

Written by: Ann Smith

John* dreams of a career with a Silicon Valley tech start up. As a high school senior, he is busy crafting college application essays and eagerly considering the possibilities that lie ahead. By all rights, a bright future is his for the taking, especially considering the outstanding grades he has worked hard to earn over the last three years. Little did John know how his choices would be limited though, by a placement decision made long before his personal dreams truly took shape.

While it might seem like a small setback, this single decision altered the trajectory of John’s dreams. As he explores college possibilities, he is quickly learning that many institutions prefer candidates who have completed college level math courses such as calculus or statistics, especially if they aspire to enter competitive STEM programs. The path to courses like calculus begins at a minimum with geometry in 9^th grade. Holding a student back at that crucial juncture creates roadblocks down the road for college admission and, in cases like John’s, dampens dreams of a STEM career.

Studies show that Latino and African-American students in Bay Area schools are promoted to geometry at much lower rates than their Asian and White counterparts – even when they have demonstrated proficiency in the classroom or on standardized tests. Like many Latino students, John was placed in algebra instead of geometry in his freshman year of high school, despite performing well in 8^th grade algebra. 

You might ask why John was asked to repeat algebra despite his solid grades. Many believe that the answer lies in the subjective measures through which placement decisions are typically made. School districts do their best to get it right, but assessing student performance is complex and especially complicated within schools of hundreds of students. This is why we are excited about a measure recently approved by the California State Assembly (SB 359 – California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015) requiring school districts to adopt a mathematics placement policy based on multiple objective academic measures of student performance. A collaboration of several Bay Area school districts, the North County Mathematic Consortium, already demonstrated the positive impact of such an approach. Districts in this consortium reported an increase in the number of students recommended and placed in geometry by 9^th grade, including dramatic increases in the percentages of Latinos that advanced.  As a partner within the East Side Alliance, we applaud the strides that the East Side Union High School District and their feeder districts have made in implementing a more transparent math placement protocol. We know educators want their students to succeed – in school and in life. Adopting a statewide set of objective standards will support schools in their efforts to make the best decisions possible on behalf of their students.

“Math misplacement is a longstanding problem that has disproportionately impacted students of color,” said Dr. Emmett Carson, CEO and President of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, sponsor of SB 359. “By signing SB 359 into law, Governor Brown can . . . ensure that all students have a fair chance to succeed in math. SB 359 presents an opportunity to increase the number of minority students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math by ensuring there is a systematic process in place to protect them from being held back unfairly.”

We look forward to the passage of SB 359, so that high-achieving students of color have a fighting chance of achieving their STEM dreams and that the pipeline of STEM professionals is increasingly fed by the vibrant rainbow of diversity that exists right here in our community.

*Name changed to protect privacy.

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Test Scores Reveal Widening Racial Achievement Gap in California

"New CA student test results: Over 50% unprepared for college" - USA Today

"Common Core Test Scores Paint a Somber Picture" - KCRW

"Students score low on California’s new standardized tests" - SFGate

"Common Core test scores show state’s daunting challenge" - San Francisco Chronicle

California's school test scores reveal vast racial achievement gap - San Jose Mercury News

It has been difficult to miss the headlines about the widening racial achievement gap in California. While the previous STAR tests showed consistent progress in narrowing the gap between the performance of Latino and African-American students and their Asian and white counterparts, the new test results tell a rather different story.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that: “While 72 percent of Asian students and 61 percent of white students statewide met or exceeded standards in English, only 32 percent of Latino students and 28 percent of African-American students matched that achievement.”

Math results were bleaker still: “69 percent of Asians, 49 percent of whites, 21 percent of Latinos and 16 percent of African-Americans met or exceeded standards.”

Educators point to a number of factors behind the disconcerting results. The new tests are based on the Common Core State Standards, with an emphasis on open-ended questions that draw on critical thinking skills and require students to explain their answers in writing. In previous years, rote fact memorization was sufficient for the multiple-choice-format STAR test. The deeper level of thinking demanded by the Common Core is new to students and teachers in many local schools and adopting curriculum and teaching methods aligned with the standards is proving challenging. This is particularly true in schools already underperforming in other ways - schools that serve large numbers of Latino and African-American students.

While the results are generally disheartening, at Breakthrough Silicon Valley we see some bright spots on the horizon. Breakthrough students have taken the Common Core processes in stride even as some of their schools have struggled to do so. In our middle school program, students work collaboratively to solve math problems and explain their thinking, both verbally and in writing. Program Coordinators, David Tarula and Christina Tran-Kenyon, describe this learning as student-driven versus teacher-led.

As David explains, “During the After-School Program, the role of the teacher isn’t to tell them if they are right or wrong but rather to facilitate and guide their learning. The teacher will ask guiding questions to help the students arrive at their conclusion. By verbalizing their method of arriving at a problem, students are able to error analyze and identify their personal stumbling blocks. Students work closely together and are encouraged to try multiple methods."

We are confident that our program not only prepares, students for standardized tests, but more importantly to one day be active participants in an increasingly complex workplace where teamwork, communication skills, perseverance, resourcefulness, and creativity will be highly valued.

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Staff Spotlight: David Tarula

“College wasn’t a part of my vocabulary growing up. In my family, getting a job was valued over going to college.” explains David Tarula, Breakthrough Silicon Valley Middle School Program Coordinator. In middle school, he was often teased by friends and family for earning good grades. David felt a constant pressure to be like his friends, who skipped class and got into fights. His desire to hold onto his childhood friendships led him to quickly disengage with school. His love of learning was overpowered by the social pressures he felt.

Elementary school picture of David.

The summer before 10^th grade, David moved to a new city and with that he was presented with a clean slate. David took that opportunity to make better choices both academically and socially. For the first time in his life, he thoughtfully chose who he surrounded himself with. As he invested more and more time on academics, he faced increased resistance from his parents, who needed his help in supporting the family financially. David compromised with his parents by taking on part time jobs after school.

Senior year came quickly. David submitted many college applications and scholarships but didn’t believe he would actually attend college. One day in Civics class, his teacher asked David where he was going to college. David replied that he was not planning on going to college. The teacher did not accept that answer. He responded, “College is not an option. I want to know where you are going.” That was the turning point in David’s life. 

David with his former Math Class.

After the last minute decision to go to college, David enrolled at CSU Bakersfield with scholarships and FAFSA helping him pay tuition. Throughout his four years at CSU Bakersfield, David managed to juggle a full time job along with attending school full-time and taking on leadership roles in on-campus organizations. His path to and through college was far from easy but it is a path that many students tread.

His experience as a student inspired him to pursue a career in education. Just like his Civics teachers, he wants to ensure that academically motivated students, like those he works with in Breakthrough, achieve their collegiate and career dreams. 

Get to know David in this quick Q&A:

How did you first learn about Breakthrough?
I first learned about Breakthrough from my college advisor, who told me about the Teaching Fellowship. I was a Breakthrough Teacher in the summer of 2009!

 David assisting a student during the After-School Math Program.

What would you be doing if you weren't at your current job?
If I wasn’t the Middle School Program Coordinator, I’d still be in the classroom teaching math!

What is one word you would use to describe yourself as a child?
Dreamer

What is the nerdiest thing you do in your spare time?
Every moment of my life is nerdy. If I had to pick one, I would say arguing about time travel with my friends. 

What's a fear your proud to have overcome? 
The fear that I was proud to overcome was my fear of heights. I went full force when I faced it and jumped out of a plane. I’ve jumped out of a plane three times total. Anyone willing to go with me for a fourth time?

What did you want to be growing up?

David with Breakthrough colleague, Tina Brinceño 

Originally, I wanted to be a Power Ranger. The Blue Power Ranger to be exact. Since I didn't know Zordon or Alpha 5, I went to college thinking I wanted to be a lawyer but changed my mind when I was a Breakthrough Teaching Fellow. 

Have you ever met anybody famous? Where? When? 
I’ve met two famous people! I met Walter Emanuel Jones, who played Zach Taylor (aka the Black Power Ranger) in the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers". I was eight and geeked out. I also met Erik Estrada from the show "Chips." They were both in line at a movie theater in Burbank, CA.

What would a perfect day look like for you?
I’d be at the beach all day. I would start with a 5k, spend most of the day lounging around reading a book or doing math problems, and finish with dinner at a local restaurant that has live music.

When playing two truths and a lie, what are your two truths and a lie?
My two truths are usually: I live in Lamont, CA and I fostered a student who is now in the Army. I need to change that because I no longer live in Lamont! My lie is that I own a dog. I want a dog, but don’t own one.

Name: Doodle | Artist: David Tarula

How often do you doodle? What do your doodles look like? 
I doodle when I’m working on a project and I’m stuck. They are usually faces or geometric figures.

 

To learn more about David and other members of our staff, please visit our website!

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Staff Spotlight: Christina Tran-Kenyon

Born and raised in East San Jose, Christina Tran-Kenyon was the first in her family to attend college. She is an alumna of University of the Pacific where she earned both her Bachelor of Science in Business,and Masters in Education. Like many Breakthrough students, language and cultural barriers often posed a threat to her academic pursuits. Her native tongue of Vietnamese, which would often pose a hurdle in her literature and writing classes, is now an asset to her as she builds relationships with our Vietnamese speaking families in the very same neighborhood she grew up in. Her parents made countless sacrifices to ensure that Christina was able to earn the college degree and pave the way for her three younger sisters.

Get to know Christina, or as the Breakthrough staff affectionately calls her CTK, in this quick Q&A:

What is your role at Breakthrough? How would you explain your work in three sentences to your eight-year-old cousin?

At Breakthrough, I work with middle school students and their families after-school, weekends and summers. My job is to organize programs, and make sure that all the students keep their grades up!

What do you like most about Breakthrough?

 Christina with her mother, sisters and husband

Breakthrough’s ability to create a rigorous academic environment combined with a very inclusive positive culture for our students.

What is your biggest piece of advice for Breakthrough students?

Asking for help is not a weakness, don’t be afraid to ask when you don’t know. Successful people are the ones who ask.

What would you like Breakthrough kids to know about you?

I come from a very big family, and they 

are really important to me.  I had 360 people at my wedding, and 300 of them were my family members.

What’s your favorite thing to do in your hometown of San Jose?

Eating authentic Vietnamese food! There are so many Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose, and I missed that when I was living in the East Bay.

What would you most regret not having done by the end of your life?

Being able to start my own family and raise my own kids.     

What excited you so much that it kept you awake the night before?

The night before the first day of school when I was a student or teacher always kept me up.

To learn more about Christina and other members of our staff, please visit our website!

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First-Generation College Applicant Opens Up about the Grueling Process

Applying to college can be overwhelming for any student. But it’s especially intimidating for an applicant who is the first in his or her family to attend a four-year university. Decisions about where and how to apply, and college affordability issues pose hurdles for first-generation college students. At Breakthrough Silicon Valley, we make the college application process less daunting for students.

We recently sat down with Breakthrough senior, Heriberto Alcantar, who shared his experience of being the first in his family to apply to college.

Breakthrough Silicon Valley: How long have you been preparing to apply to college?

Heriberto Alcantar: Now that I’m about to submit my applications, I realize I’ve been preparing for this moment since middle school. The application check list is long. Colleges look at all of the classes that you took; the grades in those classes; what you did after-school, on the weekends and in the summer; your ACT scores; letters from teachers, coaches, advisors. All of that does not come together in just one year. By the time some kids think about college, it is too late. They might not have taken two years of a lab science or two years of a foreign language. Luckily, since I was eleven, Breakthrough was making sure that I was in the right classes, monitoring my grades, matching me with tutors when my grades dipped, organizing the ACT Prep and Personal Writing Sessions and helping me figure out next steps – like which colleges to apply to!

BSV: It is great to hear that we kept our end of the bargain! So, which schools are you applying to?

HA: I’m applying to Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CSU East Bay, CSU Monterey Bay, Florida Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, UC Berkeley, UC Merced, UC Riverside and UCLA.

BSV: That is some list! How did you decide on those colleges?

HA: It has been a long process that started the first time Breakthrough took us on a Career Exploration Field Trip to a local tech company where I met a computer engineer. Of course, I heard of computer engineers but, before that trip, I had never met one. The work he was doing was fascinating to me. Since then, I wanted to be a computer engineer. I started my college search by looking at schools with engineering programs. Then, I started to consider fit. Last spring, Breakthrough took us on a college tour of schools in Southern California. Before that trip, I was convinced that I wanted a small school. I’m shy and didn’t think I would fit in at a big school. But, on the trip, we visited one small school and it felt too small. There weren’t a lot of people walking around and nobody seemed to be hanging out on the quad or in the library. I realized that I needed a school with more life because even though I’m shy, I need people around me and opportunities to meet new people. I probably would not be applying to UCLA if I did not visit the campus.

BSV: Has cost been a concern when applying to and deciding where to attend college?

HA: Definitely! I’m still learning what type of financial aid is out there. I am fearful that my grades are not high enough for merit based aid and scholarships. At least I’m not alone in figuring all of this out.  We started learning about saving and budgeting for college and the difference between loans, grants and scholarships at Breakthrough last year. This year, they will walk us through FAFSA and go over the financial aid packages and all of that with me and my family.

BSV: Besides money, what has been the most stressful part of the college application process so far?

HA: Writing personal statements is stressful. A lot of effort is required to write a strong statement. The first time I saw the prompts, I didn’t know how to start. I felt like I had to unpack my life and fit it into 1000 words. I reflected on pieces of my life that most people try to ignore. It is scary to then share that with someone I do not know.

BSV: You have devoted countless hours of time to preparing and applying to college. What motivates you to do all of that?

HA: Biggest motivator: my parents. My mom and dad were unable to finish high school and I have seen how they have struggled to raise me and my two sisters. I want to lift the burdens that my parents have shouldered alone all of these years. My hope is that a college degree can lead me and my family towards stability, towards a life without fear of the future. By being the first in my family to go to college, I will pave the way for my younger sisters. More than an example, I want to be a resource. In the same way that I go to Breakthrough with questions, I want my sisters to feel confident coming to me about anything - APs, entrance exams, fee waivers, loans, and whatever else we should know when applying to college!

BSV: Any crucial advice for fellow first-gen students applying to college?

HA: The most important advice that I can share is to never give up on a dream. Over the years, I have heard, “college may not be the best option for you,” “you will not make it to college,” and “you are not college material.” But, for all of those that have tried to shut me down, there have been even more that have raised me up. Those are the people that I have kept in my corner. Those are people that are going to be with me when I walk across the stage at college graduation. 

If you are interested in learning more about how Breakthrough Silicon Valley assists high school students through the college application process, and becoming a part of our life-changing programs, visit our website today! 

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