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! 

This Week's To-Do List & Resources:

1. FAFSA First Day in BPS - Monday, October 4th: Studies have shown that 90% of students who complete a FAFSA by March 15th are more likely to enter college in the fall. We also know that completing the FAFSA is the key to unlocking access to higher education and career opportunities. Without the completion of the FAFSA, students miss out on essential financial aid, which leads to disparate outcomes.
2. Encourage the class of 2022 to learn more about the FAFSA and complete it early!
3. Be active on social media to let others know that October is BPS College & Career Month - use the hashtag #BPSCollegeMonth and tag @SuccessBoston wherever you are active.
4. Check out our 2021 Social Media Toolkit for more ideas.
5. Visit the BPS College & Career Site for resources and events. Share with students, families, and practitioners.
6. Start spreading the word about upcoming events. The BPS College & Career Site will be updated frequently so check back!
   1. Historically Black Colleges & University (HBCU) Alumni Webinar (Thursday, October 14th, 6-7:30PM, ONLINE)
   2. BPS Citywide College, Career & STEM Fair (Saturday, October 16th, 10AM-1PM, The English High School Field.) (Flyer attached)
   3. College & Career/BPS Pathways Panel During STEM Week (Wednesday, October 20th)
7. Due to COVID-19, the MassEdCO walk-in centers are closed, but their Financial Advisors are still available for support. Mass EdCo advisors are available to answer calls at 617.536.0200 for Boston & 508.586.3100 for Brockton. https://www.massedco.org/locations/boston/boston-area-education-and-career-planning-center 
8. uAspire is hosting a series of financial aid virtual events. Please share this flyer with your network.
9. See and share the attached flyer and highlights calendar

Success Boston is all about ensuring Boston’s young people are prepared to meet the challenges of higher education and achieve a degree that will allow them to thrive in the workplace. To that end, we are working to ensure that Boston students are academically prepared to succeed in college, by expanding the number of AP courses and dual enrollment opportunities available, among other activities. The goal of College & Career Month in Boston is to showcase all of the city’s varied and helpful resources designed to get students prepared for, enrolled in, and through college. 
 

This Week's To-Do List & Resources:

1. Keep spreading the word about upcoming events and encourage students to sign up via the  BPS College & Career Site - register for upcoming events here. The BPS College & Career Site will be updated frequently so check back! 
   1. Historically Black Colleges & University (HBCU) Alumni Webinar (Thursday, October 14th, 6-7:30PM, ONLINE)
   2. BPS Citywide College, Career & STEM Fair (Saturday, October 16th, 10AM-1PM, The English High School Field.)
   3. College & Career/BPS Pathways Panel During STEM Week (Wednesday, October 20th) 
2. Encourage students to link their Khan Academy and CollegeBoard accounts. Students can receive customized test prep based on their scores. 
3. Be active on social media to let others know that October is BPS College & Career Month - use the hashtag #BPSCollegeMonth and tag @SuccessBoston wherever you are active. 
4. Check out our 2021 Social Media Toolkit for more ideas.
5. Visit the BPS College & Career Site for resources and events. Share with students, families, and practitioners.
6. Due to COVID-19, the MassEdCO walk-in centers are closed, but their Financial Advisors are still available for support. Mass EdCo advisors are available to answer calls at 617.536.0200 for Boston & 508.586.3100 for Brockton. https://www.massedco.org/locations/boston/boston-area-education-and-career-planning-center
7. MassEdCo will also host a series titled "Decoding the FAFSA" (click here for flyer). Sessions are available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. 10/9 and 10/28 in Mandarin - register here; 10/20 in English - register here; 10/27 in Spanish - register here.
8. uAspire is hosting a series of financial aid virtual events. Please share this flyer with your network.
9. 826 Boston will be hosting Virtual College Essay Boot Camps on Saturdays October 30, November 20, and December 11, 2021. Space is limited, so encourage students to sign up now to be paired 1-on-1 with a trained writing tutor to work on your college essay.
10. See and share the attached flyer and highlights calendar

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.

This Week's To-Do List & Resources:

1. Spread the word about upcoming events and encourage students to visit the BPS College & Career Site. The BPS College & Career Site will be updated frequently so check back!
   1. STEM Week Career Panels: Join Boston Public Schools and United Way's BoSTEM every day of STEM week (October 18-22) for virtual career panels from 1-2pm, with a theme for each day! All are welcome. Click here to register.
   2. Saturday, 10/23: STEM Week Student Showcase at Franklin Park Zoo: Throughout STEM week, students will address the question "How do we improve the health of our city using STEAM?" by creating solutions to community problems. On Saturday, October 23 from 10 am-12 pm we invite the community to learn from the students about their projects at the Franklin Park Zoo. If you are a BPS family or a teacher, sign up here for free admission to the zoo for the day to support our students, and celebrate STEM learning!
2. Visit the BPS STEM Week Site for resources and activities.
3. Be active on social media to let others know that October is BPS College & Career Month - use the hashtag #BPSCollegeMonth and tag @SuccessBoston wherever you are active.
4. Check out our 2021 Social Media Toolkit for more ideas.
5. Visit the BPS College & Career Site for resources and events. Share with students, families, and practitioners.
6. Spread the word! MassRobotics offers a fellowship program for Black and Latinx girls in grades 10-12. In the Jumpstart Program, girls earn a stipend to learn the basics of coding and robotics and have the opportunity to apply for paid summer internships at various Boston area robotics companies. The application for Cohort II is open through November 1. See the flyer here. Application is available here. Upcoming information session on 10/19 at 5 PM.
7. Due to COVID-19, the MassEdCO walk-in centers are closed, but their Financial Advisors are still available for support. Mass EdCo advisors are available to answer calls at 617.536.0200 for Boston & 508.586.3100 for Brockton.
8. MassEdCo will also host a series titled "Decoding the FAFSA". Sessions are available in English (10/20), Spanish (10/27), and Mandarin (10/28). Click on the appropriate date within the flyer to register.
9. uAspire is hosting a series of financial aid virtual events. Please share this flyer with your network.
10. 826 Boston will be hosting Virtual College Essay Boot Camps on Saturdays October 30, November 20, and December 11, 2021. Space is limited, so encourage students to sign up now to be paired 1-on-1 with a trained writing tutor to work on your college essay. Flyer here.
11. See and share the attached highlights calendar

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.

This Week's To-Do List & Resources:

1. Be active on social media to let others know that October is BPS College & Career Month - use the hashtag #BPSCollegeMonth and tag @SuccessBoston wherever you are active. 
2. Check out our 2021 Social Media Toolkit for more ideas.
3. Visit the BPS College & Career Site for resources and events. Share with students, families, and peers!
4. Visit the BPS MyCAP: College & Career Advising page for practitioner resources, including scopes and sequences, help with Naviance, and getting started guides.
5. The annual BPS/Generation Success “Class of” Challenge launches this week! The Class of 2024 and 2025 Challenges aim to help young people have the confidence, motivation, and skills to achieve success in life as they define it. Starting this week through next January, Generation Success will work with BPS, counselors, teachers, and parents/caregivers to ensure all 9th and 10th graders have the tools to begin setting goals and ultimately complete their MyCAP (My Career and Academic Plan) plans. Visit gensuccess.org for more details on the Challenge and how students, parents, and teachers can get involved, and to learn more about Generation Success! Launched in 2020, Generation Success is a city-wide initiative through the Boston Opportunity Agenda that works with Boston-area schools, out-of-school programs, parents, nonprofits, and industry groups to prepare students for life after high school and help them explore the universe of opportunities throughout our city. 
6. MassCore: In Massachusetts, there is a list of courses that students are encouraged to take to ensure that they are ready for college. The recommended program of studies includes: 4 years of English, 4 years of Math, 3 years of a lab-based Science, 3 years of history, 2 years of the same foreign language, 1 year of an arts program and 5 additional "core" courses such as business education, health, and/or technology. 
7. Resources for undocumented students: Unafraid Educators is an organizing committee of the Boston Teachers Union working to support undocumented and immigrant students and families. Working alongside partners such as the Student Immigrant Movement, we organize political action campaigns, facilitate professional learning for educators, and administer the Unafraid Scholarship for Boston students. 
8. MEFA webinar: The College Process for Undocumented Students (in Spanish) El proceso universitario para los estudiantes indocumentados en español November 4, 2021, 6:30pm - 7:30pm: A pesar de los muchos obstáculos que enfrentan para ir a la universidad, los estudiantes indocumentados pueden acceder a la educación superior. En este seminario web presentado en español se explicarán las reglas más recientes de inmigración, así como los estados migratorios elegibles y no elegibles para la ayuda federal al estudiante. Pulse aquí para registrarse
9. Boston Society for Architecture - In partnership with the Center for Architecture in New York, the BSA is hosting a free virtual event for students that aims to explore questions prospective students have before entering architecture school. This event is titled “Conversations about Architecture School,” and it will take place on October 30 from 10-12 AM. More details about the event and a link to register are available here.
10. Let’s Get Ready will be offering free SAT and college application prep- Spring 2022. Students will receive mentoring and intensive SAT tutoring from a near-peer, as well as support applying to college. See the student flyer here. Additionally, LGR is accepting applications for Virtual Access Coaches and Virtual Access Instructors. These are paid positions for college students.  Application for instructors and coaches is here.
11. 9th-11th graders: Begin looking at admission requirements for different colleges you want to apply for. Make sure you have the high school courses you need, figure out what SAT scores and GPAs you will need, as well as what kind of volunteer or work experience will make you a good candidate.
12. 9th-10th graders: Talk with your PIC career specialist and counselor about building your resume in Naviance today! You can keep track of your extra-curricular activities, sports, and more.
13. There is a college for everyone! Typically, high school students create three lists of schools: target schools (past applicants’ grades, SAT/ACT scores are similar to you), reach schools (that are less likely to admit you than target schools, but are worth trying for), and safety schools (which are more likely to admit you and will serve as a safety net in case your other options don’t work out). Use the resources linked below to help you start exploring your options!
14. Due to COVID-19, the MassEdCO walk-in centers are closed, but their Financial Advisors are still available for support. Mass EdCo advisors are available to answer calls at 617.536.0200 for Boston & 508.586.3100 for Brockton.
15. MassEdCo will also host a series titled "Decoding the FAFSA". Sessions are available in Spanish (10/27), and Mandarin (10/28). Click on the appropriate date in the previous link to register.
16. uAspire is hosting a series of financial aid virtual events. Please share this flyer with your network.
17. 826 Boston will be hosting Virtual College Essay Boot Camps on Saturdays October 30, November 20, and December 11, 2021. Space is limited, so encourage students to sign up now to be paired 1-on-1 with a trained writing tutor to work on your college essay. Flyer here.
18. See and share the attached highlights calendar