Mississippi’s Camp College: Senior Session, Summer 2006
Submitted by Ann Hendrick, Director of College Planning, Education Services Foundation

Education Services Foundation, a nonprofit company in Jackson, Mississippi, works with one mission: to make college possible for students. Given the challenge by the NASFAA Access and Diversity Committee to reach out to the local community to help make college education accessible for all students, regardless of their ethnicity, socio-economic status, or background, this summer we shifted focus to a new event called Senior Session. “While always looking for new ideas, we decided to accept the NASFAA challenge and play off of the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling (SACAC) Camp College to offer an interactive workshop for rising seniors. Our goal was to assist students in understanding their college possibilities and explore the factors influencing their college decision,” said Ann Hendrick, Director of ESF’s College Planning Division.

ESF invited ten high school counselors in the capital city’s metro area to nominate ten of their rising seniors demonstrating high potential with priority to students whose families showed financial need.

With 35 participants, the all day session began with small groups of students creating their own make-believe college and the student profile. Using fictitious names, based on their candy bar of choice (Butterfinger College, Twix University, Hershey’s and Reese’s State), the students designed their colleges, which ranged from a liberal arts college in Virginia to a large public university in Pocahontas, Mississippi. After deciding distinctive strengths, athletics, class size, middle 50% test scores, etc. the students, who were now serving on their college’s admission committee, were given four applications for their new college. As a group, they could accept one, waitlist one and deny two. This exercise forced them to examine the factors that influence an admission decision. Heather Roberts, ESF Coordinator of Outreach and co-director of Senior Session noted, “While the lighthearted approach created a fun environment, making admissions decisions created some real debate.” The college admission exercise led into the next sessions of essays, resume writing, and interviewing skills.

A major access issue for underserved students is the lack of information on financing a college education. As finances should not dictate who gets a college degree, the participants were eager to learn more about financing a college education to include scholarship search and understanding financial aid.

The most enlightening session of the day was not about admission or financial aid. Four college students, enrolled at Mississippi State, Millsaps College, Tougaloo College, and Lee University, were invited to serve on a panel for discussion about student life and the transition to college. "I believe the panel was an eye-opener for many of the students. It was just the students, panelists, and one counselor in the room. The students got an opportunity to ask real questions about the college experience from scheduling classes to roommate assignments, and the panelists were very honest,” said Thomas Adams, ESF counselor and co-director of Senior Session.

ESF hopes to expand Camp College statewide and include younger students to provide information to those at most risk not enrolling in college. This expansion will include partnering with Mississippi admissions and financial aid colleagues in these early awareness efforts.