HAFTR Highlights

College fair prepares students for next step

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It’s almost impossible to speak about college without opening up the can of bittersweet emotions that come along with it. Sitting in the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) High School auditorium on April 2, with my entire 11th grade class and their parents, I couldn’t help but think about how far we’ve come in the past three years, as representatives from New York Barnard, Yeshiva and Binghamton universities, and Queens College and Cooper Union shared their “secrets” for getting accepted into college.

Prior to this evening, HAFTR’s college guidance department prepared profiles of some mock students so that the panel could voice their thoughts and offer advice to us for next year. The panel reviewed students’ transcripts, essays, standardized testing scores, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities. “The panel was very helpful because they taught me what a good essay is, and what the requirements are,” said junior Rayna Kaufman. Students enjoyed the panel because they really got a chance to internalize how to impress the admissions officers.

After the panel discussion, students picked three colleges (from a list of 21) that they wanted to learn more about, and then proceeded to the designated classrooms. In each classroom, a representative from the college admissions office, or an alumnus of the college, spoke about Jewish life on campus, the clubs offered, the admissions process, and other specifics. The college reps also encouraged students to make time to visit the campus during the spring or fall semesters to get a sense of the college student experience. “I definitely feel more prepared for college after hearing from different schools because I now have a sense of what each college has to offer,” Kaufman said.

After their three sessions, students were invited to the gym, where they were encouraged to ask additional questions and speak to the other school. Students felt more comfortable speaking to the representatives in an informal fashion, and freely shared any concerns or questions they had about the application process. “I feel more prepared about college because I now have an idea of where I want to go, and what I need to do to get there,” said junior Gabriella Lumerman. “I also learned that to do well, you need to take the initiative.”

With the help of HAFTR’s college guidance office and support from our principals, hopefully taking the initiative won’t be too difficult.