Pre-Orientation Summer Programs
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, AR)
[pull_quote_center]For first-generation students, entering college can be a challenging transition. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers the Learning Institute and Opportunities for New Students (LIONS) summer program to help incoming students adjust to college life. Participants move into a residence hall on campus over the summer. During the program, they meet fellow freshmen and UAPB faculty, take English and algebra classes, attend tutoring and academic enrichment sessions, and participate in “College Knowledge” workshops and seminars. At the end of the program, they attend UAPB’s general freshman orientation with a head start.[/pull_quote_center]
On-Campus Support Systems
Dillard University (New Orleans, LA)
[pull_quote_center]For many first-generation college students, college can feel like a “sink or swim” environment. Dillard University proactively helps first-year students navigate the school’s support system. All first-year academic support programs are housed under the Academic Center for Excellence, so that a student only has to go to one place to get help with everything from managing personal challenges to navigating academic struggles. Dillard also assesses incoming students’ college preparedness and their individual concerns—like social-emotional issues or affordability—then alerts specific departments that a particular student may need their support. Finally, Dillard places students with similar academic interests in “learning communities,” so that they are surrounded by peers who are exploring the same majors and taking the same classes.[/pull_quote_center]
Graduation Rates
Spelman College (Atlanta, GA)
[pull_quote_center]If a first-generation or low-income student attends a school with high graduation rates for students like them, they’re far more likely to graduate themselves. Spelman College boasts a 76 percent six-year average graduation rate—that’s the highest graduation rate of any Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the country. Spelman also enrolls the largest number of black female recipients of the Gates Millennium Scholarship—a program for students with financial need—of any institution in the US. Knowing this, college advisors can encourage students who are interested in HBCUs to consider Spelman a top choice.[/pull_quote_center]
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