October is College & Career Month in Boston! This marks an exciting month of events and activities designed to encourage all students and their families to begin planning for a passion-filled life after high school as early as possible.
College & Career Month is an annual campaign each October to create awareness about college affordability, college admissions, and the types of degrees and careers that go along with a college education. The goal of College & Career Month is to showcase all of the city’s varied and helpful resources designed to get students prepared for, enrolled in, and through college. These include resources related to the PSAT and SAT; virtual college tours, including to HBCUs and two- and four year institutions; FAFSA support and college affordability; and exploration of postsecondary options to help students map out their college journey.
Now in its 16th year, College & Career Month is a partnership between the Boston Public Schools and Success Boston. Since College & Career Month began, Success Boston and its partners have worked to increase the numbers of Boston Public Schools students who attend and complete college. Today, the six-year college completion rate stands at 54% for BPS graduates, up from 35% for the class of 2000.
Click here to explore resources and learn about key events and activities.
October is packed with events and milestones to help you prepare for college. Download this calendar to help keep yourself on track, and visit BPS' College & Career Month website for additional event listings and resources.
Friday, October 1st is the kick-off day for College Month! A community of practitioners will represent their college colors and alma mater, and share short written and recorded inspirational posts on their “Why” and their career paths. The road is long and winding, and it is critical - now more than ever - that our students understand there are supports along the way. Follow our social media accounts and share your videos, stories and more: @SuccessBoston on Facebook and Twitter and @Success.Boston on Instagram.
In October, we released a new Success Boston report about the effectiveness of transition coaching on the college success of Boston Public Schools graduates. The latest in a series of reports, this analysis focuses on the BPS Classes of 2013 through 2016, and includes updated findings on persistence and academic performance, along with the first set of findings on the impact of coaching on degree completion. The research—and the accompanying conversation—will also discuss the characteristics of effective programs that move the needle on college completion; what it takes for coaching to work; and what we can do to maintain the citywide gains we have made over the last decade.
This fair is a great opportunity for students to speak with representatives from colleges and universities, discover opportunities in different fields of science, technology, engineering and math, access resources to assist with FAFSA completion and get connected to coaching supports, career agencies and internship opportunities.
Families play a key role in the college and career journey for students. The BPS College & Career Month website can connect families with the best college access community and school-based resources available to start the planning process early and often.
Click here to access family resources.
October marks the opening of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for students to complete their financial aid eligibility. Because money is given out on a first-come, first-served basis, it is extremely important that students submit their forms as soon as possible. The 2022-2023 FAFSA form will be available starting October 1, 2021. Students must use it to apply for financial aid for the school they will attend from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
BPS’s current completion rate for the 2021 senior cohort is 51% and 63% for graduates. Let’s get it up to 60% completion for the senior class of 2022!
Massachusetts STEM Week is another cross-sector initiative that we will support and promote. BPS is planning activities to highlight the biotechnology field in Massachusetts and is considering a series of experiences delivered throughout the neighborhoods of Boston. There is also specific engagement planned for families around STEM and the possibility of a joint College & Career Month/STEM Fair, depending upon CDC regulations.
Our district's goal is for every high school student to engage in a post-high school planning process using a comprehensive college and career readiness platform Naviance. Naviance helps students achieve critical milestones to prepare for college or careers. Once students use the platform to identify their strengths and interests, Naviance helps them connect those interests to potential careers and plan a course of study to reach their goals, whether they are heading directly to college, entering the workforce, joining the military, or pursuing another path after high school.