En español

College Planning Meeting Announced

Middle school and high school students and their families who want to get a head start on planning for college should not miss a special presentation that will take place Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. in the Irving High School Auditorium.

Created by the Texas state GEAR UP project, the information at this meeting can help students and families understand the kinds of information that colleges need as part of their application for admission. Irving ISD is targeting 8^th and 9^th grade students and parents, but the presentation is open to the public.

“The beauty of a College Planning Portfolio is that it provides an easy way for students and families to organize and store vital college application information in a single place,” says Priscilla Flores, State GEAR UP Director.  Instructions for keeping a portfolio, checklists and resource materials, will be in English and Spanish.

The meeting, which will be hosted by high school and middle schools counselors in Irving, also includes the screening of a video specially created for the state GEAR UP program.  Planning Ahead for College explains the way in which early planning can make a difference in a student’s readiness to succeed in college.  Both the video and the meeting are produced in English and Spanish.

“In today’s highly competitive workplace, a college education is essential, but fortunately it is available to just about anybody who wants to go to college if they prepare themselves for it,” Flores says.  “That’s what this meeting is all about.”  The Texas state GEAR UP project is administered by the Texas Education Agency under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.  The program’s mission is to encourage and prepare students from low-income families to pursue and succeed in postsecondary education.

For more information about this special presentation, contact the counseling office at your school or Paula Barnhouse, Director of Academic & Career Counseling for Irving ISD.