“University of Fallon” Helps Prepare Middle School Students for High School and College

Last year Adam Gelb and Michael Ruegg successfully created and implemented a project called the “University of Fallon at Dublin”. Students learn to write resumes, fill out applications, write personal statements, and interview effectively. The idea behind the effort is to prepare students early on for the rigorous college admissions process many will tackle as high school students.

Gelb explained, “College admissions has become increasingly difficult over the last decade. Not only is it tougher to get into college, it is tougher to pay for college. We want students to start thinking about their academic choices early.” Basically, the idea is to get students thinking about long term goals so they don’t find themselves low on options as seniors.

While last year the project was a two man effort, this year fellow 7th grade teachers Steven Chapman and Amy Jones completed the project. On taking part in the project, Chapman stated, “It has really helped the students reflect on who they are and what they do.” Many students have found that they might want to streamline their after school activities, while others have found that they need to be more involved.

The capstone of the project is a personal statement in which the students utilize the language arts skills they have learned to express themselves in writing. At the beginning of the year, every 7th grader writes a personal narrative about an important time in their life. During the 4th quarter, they write their college project personal statement, and will be able to compare who they were as students at the beginning of the year to who they are presently. It is a powerful way for students to begin the transition to high school, and eventually the adult world.

OneDublin.org’s Life in College Series is a terrific resource for parents, middle school students and high school students. The series is written by recent Dublin High School graduates about life in college, and how Dublin High School helped them achieve their college dreams. Below are links to articles in the series (as of April 2012), which cover a diverse set of in-state and out-of-state universities and colleges:

• Harvard University
• Stanford University
• University of California – Berkeley (UCB)
• University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
• University of California – San Diego (UCSD)
• University of California – Davis (UCD)
• US Military Academy at West Point
• Columbia University
• University of Arizona
• Hamline University
• Santa Barbara City College
• Penn State
• Sonoma State University
• Carroll College