Local Elementary School Students Get a Head Start
on College Prep

Students from SDSU’s Compact for Success and College Ave. Compact Make first campus visits

Contact:
Gina Speciale
Media Relations Specialist
San Diego State University
speciale@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO (Wednesday, April 16, 2008) — They are years away from applying for college, but on Monday, nearly 50 third-graders will be on the San Diego State University campus to get a head start on their college preparation. 

Students from Rosa Parks Elementary School, part of SDSU’s City Heights Educational Collaborative, will visit SDSU on Monday, April 28 at 12:30 p.m.  The visit is the first for Rosa Parks students in association with SDSU’s new College Avenue Compact, a guaranteed admissions program modeled after the SDSU Compact for Success.

Seventh graders from the Sweetwater Union High School District get a tour of campus during last year's annual visit.

In conjunction with SDSU's Pre-College Institute, the third-graders will get a firsthand account of everything college has to offer, including a one-on-one meeting with Associated Students President James Poet, a tour of campus and a slide show about why getting a college education is important.

In addition to the Rosa Parks students, 7th graders from the Sweetwater Union High School District will visit SDSU on Saturday, April 26 for the annual 7th grade campus visit, kicking off their involvement in the Compact for Success program, which has already more than doubled the number of college-ready students from the Sweetwater District since it was implemented in 2000.  More than 2,000 students and parents are expected to attend the campus visit.

The all-day event will include workshops about preparing for college, both academically and financially as well as an introduction to the Compact Scholars program at SDSU, a service which continues to support Sweetwater District graduates as they pursue their degrees at SDSU.  SDSU President Stephen Weber and SUHSD Assistant Superintendent, Dianna Carberry will also be on hand to speak with students.

Both the College Avenue Compact and the Compact for Success work directly with the local schools to improve curriculum and inspire a college-going attitude early on, in hopes of increasing the number of college-going students from their respective districts. 

The City Heights Educational Collaborative, created in 1998, is an innovative partnership among the San Diego Unified School District, Price Charities, the San Diego Education Association and SDSU. Under an agreement with the district, SDSU has the operating authority for the three City Heights Collaborative schools­: Rosa Parks Elementary, Monroe Clark Middle School and Hoover High School.

The College Avenue Compact will guarantee admission to SDSU for Hoover High School students who meet specified academic requirements and are continuously enrolled at Hoover from the 9th through 12th grades. The first class of students are freshmen at Hoover and will be eligible for admittance to SDSU in 2011.

The Compact for Success program is a unique academic partnership between the Sweetwater Union High School District and San Diego State University created to prepare students for the rigors of college, guarantee admission to SDSU and provide academic support while at SDSU.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 74 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s approximately 34,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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