High School Students Get Road Map to College

Eleventh and 12^th graders and their parents filled the gymnasium bleachers at McLane High School in Fresno on Thursday (Oct. 9) eager to find out what it takes — academically and financially — to access higher education.

The systemwide Achieve UC event is meant to inspire students to aim for college and provide them with the information they need to get there. The effort, now in its third year, has helped increase the numbers of students applying to UC by as much as 30 percent at participating high schools.

UC Merced Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Tom Peterson and interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Charles Nies discussed the importance of a college education and the role that UC can play in the process, whether students go to a UC or any college.

UC Merced Admissions and Center for Educational Partnerships staff members provided the crowd with many resources, including financial aid and admissions requirement details. Each high school student received his or her TES report and learned what requirements still need to be met before graduation in order to attend college.

While she wasn’t able to attend the Fresno event, UC President Janet Napolitano had a message for the students:

“If you study hard, there’s a place for you at the University of California. A UC education isn’t only doable, it’s affordable.”