Preparing for College

Know How 2 Go

KnowHow2GO is a national public service advertising campaign that combines education, community-based and government partnerships to raise awareness among low-income and first-generation students in grades 8 through 10 about preparing for college.

Connecticut's KnowHow2GO initiative is coordinated by the state Department of Education, state Department of Higher Education, and a coalition of public and private organizations, including the Connecticut State University System.

The KnowHow2GO website includes information and links, including the critical steps that students can take as early as middle school to begin getting on track for college. The steps include talking with adults about both academic classes and financial support, and remaining persistent in efforts to prepare for college.

Recent studies have found that the middle school years can be pivotal. A recent report by ACT found that "Making sure that all eighth-grade students have attained the knowledge and skills that put them on target to becoming ready for college and career is the single most important step that can be taken to improve their college and career readiness."
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Newspaper In Education

Connecticut KnowHow2GO, the Connecticut State University System and the Hartford Courant's Newspaper In Education program have collaborated on a series of activity pages for students, primarily in the middle school grades, encouraging them to begin thinking about college.

The initiative is endorsed by the State Department of Higher Education, State Department of Education. The activity pages, which are used in classroom discussion, urge students to "take the tough classes" to prepare for college. They appeared in the Hartford Courant in October and November, 2009. Schools in Waterbury, Stratford, Canaan, Bridgeport, Bloomfield, New Britain, Hartford, Manchester, East Hartford, Bristol, Enfield, West Hartford, Tolland, and New Haven participated. More information at www.courantnie.com

Marketing KnowHow2GO

Lamar Outdoor Advertising is donating billboard space in Connecticut in support of KnowHow2GO. The company has recently posted 9 billboards in the Hartford area, with plans to post additional billboards around the state through the end of the year. The billboards, which include a message urging students to "take the tough classes" and highlight the state's website.

Previously, the New Haven Register ran a series of public service advertisements encouraging students to visit the KnowHow2GO website.

Related Initiatives

KnowHow2GO also works closely with College Goal Sunday, an initiative where students and parents can talk to experts and get in-depth help filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Additional information on College Goal Sunday is available at www.collegegoalsundayct.org

Eastern Connecticut State University offers "College Knowledge" Days during the spring semester for middle school students to visit the university and participate in a series of college readiness workshops. In 2009, more than 1,000 middle school students from across Connecticut participated. For more information about the 2010 program, contact the Admissions Office at Eastern.

College Goal Sunday

The annual College Goal Sunday is designed to assist prospective college students and their parents in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Financial aid administrators offer this service at no charge, at locations throughout Connecticut on the Sunday before the Super Bowl each year. Please sign up in advance; check the College Goal Sunday website for additional information.

Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University are among the College Goal Sunday host sites in Connecticut.
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CTMentor

CTMentor offers access to information and admissions applications for statewide and independent colleges and universities within Connecticut. The student is usually responsible for the standard fee charged by a college or university upon submitting an application for admission, but, mentor assistance can be provided free of charge.
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College.gov

college.gov is the U.S. Department of Education's new website, built in collaboration with students. This site is intended to be the go-to source for information and resources about planning, preparing and paying for postsecondary education (such as 2- or 4-year colleges and universities, and vocational or career schools).
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Center for Student Opportunity

The Center for Student Opportunity is dedicated to promoting higher education opportunities for first generation and other underserved college-bound populations. The CSO College Center is a national clearinghouse for admissions information and college programs.
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