McKinley High School Aims for Big College Application Goal

College counselor Colleen Inaba at President William McKinley High School has an important goal this week — she wants all 292 high school seniors to apply to at least one college. She has organized activities that include bringing seniors from their English classes to the computer lab to complete college applications. The largest group is set to participate Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the school located at 1039 S. King St. in Honolulu.

The local students are among nearly 600,000 students and over 8,000 high schools around the country that are seeking to boost college enrollment by participating in the American College Application Campaign.

Representatives from the 10 campuses of the University of Hawaii will be participating as volunteers and helping students complete their applications.

ACAC is designed to encourage more students, particularly those who are from underserved populations, to apply to college.

The U.S. Dept. of Education reports the proportion of high school graduates who go straight to college has increased from 63% in 2000 to 67% in the most recent report. ACAC, an initiative of ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning, seeks to increase this percentage, especially among first-generation college students and students from low-income families (whether they pursue a certificate program, two-year degree, or four-year degree).

By removing the barriers that often prevent some students from applying to college, ACAC aims to ensure that all high school seniors complete at least one college application.

“We know the reasons that can stop a student from applying to college all too well,” said Jim Larimore, chief officer, ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning. “ACAC events guide students through the application process, addressing uncertainties and concerns while empowering them for success in the college-going process. Together, with the support of state leaders, school staff and community members rallying around local events and state college application campaigns, we can help ensure all seniors complete at least one college application.”

Research has shown that most U.S. colleges admit those who apply to them, discounting fears that students can’t get in.

Last year, students submitted a total of roughly 872,000 college applications during ACAC events. To date, over 2 million students have been served by ACAC; it began in 2005 with a single North Carolina high school and now reaches nearly 8,000 high schools.