According to a research report from College Board, nearly 90% of college-bound students prefer more career exploration in high school.
With 70% of today’s jobs requiring some form of education beyond high school, helping students discover their options early can be a vital resource for their career exploration.
It is here that Real Talk commits to stepping in for Black students, Black families, and our Black community.
What Is Real Talk?
Real Talk is a career and college exploration initiative led by College Board’s BigFuture®, a free planning guide helping students take the right first step after high school. Real Talk connects thousands of Black students with Black professionals and representatives from colleges and access organizations across the country.
Ultimately, Real Talk empowers Black students to own their future, their way.
Launched in 2020, Real Talk was developed to create a safe space for Black students to learn and engage, while addressing the range of possible options available to students pursuing a successful future. Real Talk hosts free, virtual events that students and families can attend live or view on demand at BigFuture.
Real Talk vows to meet every student wherever they may be on their college and career journey.
On Planning For The Future
“What do you want your experience to be? You have to sit down and think about what you’re looking for and ask, ‘What place am I going to get a good education and where I can thrive and grow.’” — Timothy Fields, Office of Admission-Undergraduate, Emory University
Real Talk provides Black students with free resources from BigFuture to help them take the right first steps after high school and encourages students by sharing how to:
Explore Careers: BigFuture connects students’ interests to career options via a 10-minute personalized career quiz based on their preferences.
Plan for College: Students can explore 4,400+ educational intuitions to find the right college for their career and college goals! The BigFuture College Search tool also features an HBCU filter to help HBCU-seeking students find the HBCU that best matches their future aspirations. View a sample search for colleges using HBCU on BigFuture, here.
Pay for College: A top concern for students is paying for college. Real Talk demystifies this process by sharing opportunities to learn more about scholarships for Black students, financial aid, and the new FAFSA.
“What helped me was BigFuture. That was the reason I used BigFuture in the first place — I wanted scholarships specific to me. And I found myself completing all the objectives. I honestly didn’t think I was going to win. I was doing steps that would help me.” — Justus Hadnot, Fort Scott Community College Sophomore, a $40,000 BigFuture Scholarship Winner
You can learn more about these efforts by attending free #RealTalkTuesday virtual events. Past #RealTalkTuesday events have featured guests such as an HBCU president, an Emmy award-winning art director and professional players from the NBA and NFL!
This month, students and families can attend the upcoming #RealTalkTuesday event below:
- Let’s Talk $$$: Filling Out the FAFSA, December 12, 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. PT.
- Rewatch STORYTIME: How I Won a $40,000 BigFuture Scholarship here, https://bigfuture.org/realtalk.
Family members and educators are also encouraged to participate by signing up and attending future #RealTalkTuesday events!
To sign up and learn more about BigFuture’s Real Talk initiative, please visit https://bigfuture.org/realtalk.
