Focus Issue:

After investigating the barriers to education, our community issue, we realized we were all very passionate about the fact that 40% of students graduating high school never make it to college. This is caused by the fact that many students lack a tool to help them select a college, apply, and take the necessary steps afterward. There are so many choices, the decision is complex. The application processes are complicated, help is needed. Knowing what to do once you have been accepted will set the tone for your college experience.

You may be surprised to know that of the 40% of people who do not go to college, 30% of high school students cannot go to college. This evidence, provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, proves that many students who do not go to college every year would like to. They may not be able to because of financial issues. Another reason students may not be able to go to college is that according to Ms. Lisa Cain from Communities in Schools, many students struggle with the concepts related to actually going to college. Specifically how to select a college in the application process.

After learning this information, we looked at college websites to see what they had to help students with this issue. Many college websites that we reviewed have a lot of general information, but lacked specific step by step instructions which would help students without mentors. We realized that this was a problem, and we began getting ideas for our goal.