Getting There

WONDERWORKS presents the 2ND ANNUAL COLLEGE HORIZONS/ACCESS WORKSHOP

Saturday, 20 June 2020 | 9:30 am – 1 pm | Bayou Bend

…by some estimates, half of all high-achieving low- and middle-income students have not even been applying to top colleges — largely because they believe they can’t afford it, doubt they’ll be accepted, or aren’t even aware of their options. As a result, they often lose out — and so do colleges that would benefit from their talents and diverse perspectives. Our country loses out too.

Michael Bloomberg, “More Aid for College Students,” New York Times, 19 November 2018

Fat envelopes/thin envelopes/test prep/extracurriculars/early decision/regular decision/fly-ins/FAFSAs/sticker price/discounted price— no one can take the stress out of applying to college. But what we can do is help Wonderworks’ rising 11th and 12th grade students and their parents be more knowledgeable and clearer-eyed about what the options are and, beyond that, how to go about putting together a game plan that takes advantage of individual strengths and the wide array of colleges and universities from which to choose and be chosen. This all-day program of presentations by counselors and admissions experts, followed by question and answer sessions, will help you begin to unravel the possibilities and complexities of the admissions process and its financial components too. But this is only a start, since the process itself is more like a marathon than a sprint, though the finish line is always closer than you think.

The workshop is a first step to both expanding your frame of reference and developing a balanced strategy aligned with your talents and interests, one that combines the aspirational with the more readily attainable. It’s also very important to be aware that you may end up changing your major at some time during your college career — more than a third of all students change majors at least once. So it’s a very good idea to make sure that the colleges and/or universities you apply to have an ample and well-regarded range of fields to accommodate any eventual change of majors. Many very successful people have changed majors — Rachel Carson (English to biology, Chatham), Michael Bloomberg (physics to electrical engineering, Johns Hopkins); Jill Lepore (math to English, Tufts); Frank Gehry (art to architecture, USC), to name a few who became stars after college. Looking ahead, you should position yourself to potentially change directions too — not that you will, but then again who knows?

Successful outcomes involve good scouting, sound planning, and lots of follow-through, not to mention teamwork with your parents, teachers, and counselors. The College Horizons/Access Workshop is a good place to start, particularly when combined with the College Essay/Counseling Workshop.

Open only to rising 11th and 12th grade Wonderworks students and also especially their parents.

Absolutely free! Please let us know you’re coming by checking in at: info@wonderworkshouston.org.

Free parking adjacent to the Kilroy Center.