Oregon Goes to College

Back in November, a few CAW coordinators requested an opportunity to talk with colleagues around the state. They wanted to share what went well, discuss their challenges, and hear others' ideas for making CAW 2015 even better. They wanted to wait until after they'd had some time to reflect on their November events and make it through the holiday break. Last month, we hosted several video chats in which we learned a great deal about what makes Oregon College Application Week so successful.

Read the original article by Dani Palmer in the News Times.

Five high schools in Eastern Oregon hosted College Application Week events this year: Pendleton, Umatilla, Echo, Stanfield, and Hermiston. The Hermiston Herald visited some of these events and discovered why education after high school is so important:

[Hermiston High School counselor, Melody Bustillos] said by 2030, 90 percent of jobs will require at least some sort of training simply because of advancements in technology. She said that’s why introducing students to their options early on in their senior years is particularly helpful for students.

The Oregonian

Beaverton High School opened the door to Oregonian reporter Wendy Owen during their College Application Week events:

Oregon State University president, Ed Ray, is a supporter of College Application Week, as evidenced in his guest column last week inThe Oregonian.

President Ray shared that while we might think he's biased toward higher education because of his job, he's got personal reasons for believing in the value of college. He closed with a gentle reminder:

We started hearing rumors about a heated contest at Hermiston High School, and we simply couldn't wait for the results to come in before begging for photos.

It goes without saying - College Application Week isn't a standalone event. To ensure success, students need to prepare. Prior to submitting their applications, they do a college search, make some decisions about where they'll apply, and gather their materials. When possible, the search part includes visiting college campuses. Last week, Stanfield Secondary School kicked off their CAW event by taking a group of students to Seattle to visit the University of Washington. Looks like they had a great time! 

Beaverton High School is on a roll! Check out their Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook accounts to see all of the #whyichose videos they've been posting. They're asking students, faculty, staff, and alumni why they chose to continue their education beyond high school, and they're getting some great responses! Here's one:

And here's another schedule of events we spied, this time shared on David Douglas' district website: