College Education Equity A Presentation by Pao, Gray, Kate and Mamadou
Our Team Kate Mamadou Pao Gray STudio Theme: Educational Technology
Connecting students to the information they need for the college application process https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/high-stre ss-high-school/409735/
How do the experiences of students from Connecting students underrepresented to the information communities differ? they need for the college application process What resources do students use? What is missing?
Domain Expert Extreme User Interviewees Lourdes Andrade: Jacob Director of Equity and Inclusion, Current Stanford Frosh School of Engineering Student Afgairs (4) Who | Why | How Typical User Typical User Sarah Thomas Current High School Senior Current High School Senior
Questions we asked What challenges did you face Why did you decide to go to while applying to college? college? What resources or people did How helpful were the you use to help you navigate resources offered by your the admissions process? school? Were you able to visit any DE: What do you think allows colleges? How did you feel for students from on those visits? disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed?
Interview Results
“I wanted to go to a top five college” “The counselors was useless for me” “Most of the things that I did was on my own” Extreme User Jacob: Current Stanford Frosh
Say Think College admissions Wants more fairness & should be based solely clarity on admissions on academics and merit Counselors were Upperclassmen taught Thinks he stands a useless for him him a lot about the better chance college process applying to College apps favor liberal arts certain types/ Students who weren’t Wanted to go to colleges groups of people doing well didn’t a top 5 school get much support Relaxed body Self-motivated Confident language during Went on college interview visits Worried during Deserving of being the application at Stanford Applied to Helps peers with process Questbridge and essays and tutors Gates Programs others/gives Do Feel Annoyed at the lack college advice of transparency
“We don’t talk about it much in class...Everyone is at difgerent stages of the college process” “Initially at the start of writing, I didn’t know what to do” Typical User Thomas Current High School Senior
“College tours can definitely change your perspective” “You’re trying to sell yourself to them, but you can’t just be like, ‘I’m an amazing person, you should admit me’” Typical User Sarah Current High School Senior
Say Think Didn’t want to apply to Parents aren’t informed colleges based on where she’d enough to give good feedback get in Wants a more Campus visits centralized Classmates are very Wishes her classmates gave changed perception college competitive each other more support of schools application process Easier to find schools Their school Private college after finding a few that college counselors counselors help Virtual tours she liked for comparison were not helpful them stay on track are confusing Laughed when asked how Confused about Overwhelmed by all Sought the help she felt about college where to start of the deadlines of a private applications college counselor Disappointed by Confused by Spoke quickly once school’s generic Went on college visits jargon on apps they got going suggestions with a story Do Feel Use Naviance to get an Relieved after submitting idea of where they some applications stand with stats
https://engineering.stanford.edu/spotlight/lourdes-andrade “You can’t be what you can’t see” “Someone has to see something in you” “Parents don’t know how to be involved in their child’s education” Domain Expert Lourdes Andrade: Director of Equity and Inclusion, School of Engineering Student Afgairs
Say Think Self-drive combined with Teachers often hold expectations environmental and of students without knowing psychological safety allows their circumstances for a FLI student’s success “I’m FLI” Students who often “make college Be supportive, non-judgemental, it” have individual drive acceptan straightforward to connect with and parent involvement ces are FLI students rooted Wanted to make a bigger impact in It’s ridiculous that resources at a higher level of education elitism are capped/limited. Why? Empathizes with parents Initially became an Cynical about and understands the elementary school teacher the lack of hardships they go through in the area she grew up in help for Current Dean disadvantaged of Diversity Students aren’t given students Was the director of the in the School the tools necessary Leland Scholars Program of Engineering to succeed Do Feel Participated in an Frustrated at some professors’ Educational Opportunity unwillingness to invest and Program beginning in trust in disadvantaged students middle school
Needs, Insights, and Analysis
Insight: the college application/selection process is not transparent/clear enough “I want more fairness and clearity … I wonder why I was Need: Clear reasons and standard of selected” measurement of how the college process/selection work + open records of accepted college students
Insight: Parents may not be informed “Most parents were enough to get involved in the process of just following along education with whatever the teachers were Need: Connecting parents with their teaching and how child’s education they were teaching their kids”
Insight: The college application process can feel overwhelming due to the various “My (private) multiple deadlines and requirements from counselor helps to difgerent schools keep me on track … I didn’t realize he Need: A way to manage multiple would be as big of a deadlines to feel more in control help as he did”
Insight: It’s diffjcult for students to “Once you get out of get personalized advice for selecting the common app, it’s colleges & completing applications crazy, because outside of the common app everybody has difgerent Need: Guidance from a source requirements, and difgerent ways that knowledgeable about the student’s they do things” background & each college’s unique application process
Insight: Though college visits can be very helpful, students often can’t “I definitely wanted visit all of the schools they’re to visit all of them, interested in and if I had time I definitely would Need: A way to get a sense of the have” community & Personality of a school without visiting in person
Insight: students felt a sense of relief and security when provided a roadmap from “Someone who was pushing me and college access programs or counselors, but checking me every these “Roadmaps” were not available to all. week to make sure I Need: A way of providing guidance & was on track made it helpful” accountability to all students entering the college process in order to reduce stress & keep students on track
Summary Four interviews: 1 domain expert, 1 extreme user, and 2 ● typical users. Two of those interviewees come from FLI backgrounds Overall needs: ● Connecting parents with their child’s education ○ The need for an “Alan” to manage deadlines and keep them ○ on-track A way to assess how well a school fits a student ○ Guidance from someone familiar with the college app ○ process, someone “they can see in themselves”
Questions?
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