#firstgen
students, wise tips from
@MichelleObama
😊
.
Don't ever doubt that you deserve to be there 👊
.
Don't be afraid to try new things 👍
.
Whatever you do, don't try to do this alone 🤙
.
Never forget there are so many people who believe in you 👏
It's
#CollegeSigningDay
!
Congrats to all the students committing to college in the fall, especially those who will be
#firstgen
! ☝️
Help us celebrate these students by sharing your "I'm First!" story at 🎥
A1:
#FirstGen
students are trailblazers. They overcome obstacles and beat the odds to become the first in their family to attend and graduate from college.
@CollegeFindMe
Hip hip hurray! The guide is here today! 🎉
🎈
The 2019 I'm First! Guide to College is a guidebook uniquely designed to help aspiring
#firstgen
college students turn their college dream into a reality!
November 8 was selected as the date for the annual National First-Generation College Celebration to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
#celebratefirstgen
A1: To make your essay stand out we recommend telling your
#firstgen
story. There’s something special about being the first! You are beating the odds and breaking barriers to be the first in your family to go to college. Tell that story in your essay.
#GSSummerSeries
4 years ago I started this journey and in 3 weeks I will officially be joining the 16% of Hispanics with a bachelors degree and the 24% of
#FirstGen
graduates. Momma we made it🇲🇽❤️
#TXST18
#BSCJ
Administrators who support
#firstgen
and low-income students at highly selective universities across the country met at
#PrincetonU
this week for the inaugural FGLI Consortium conference:
#ActivateTalent
#FLIisFLY
The work of school counselors isn't talked about enough. The level of love, care and support they give to
#firstgen
students is so important in a student believing in themselves and realizing their dreams. Thank you, counselors!
#NSCW22
Happy National School Counseling Week! The work school counselors do is essential and life-changing. And we know it’s been hard the past 2 years, but we’re here to help be a resource for you and your students.🌟
With love,
#ReachHigher
💙
#NSCW22
Congrats to our partner
@GeorgiaStateU
! 👏
They raised graduation rate from 32% in 2003 to 54% in 2017!
AND
for the last 5 years have awarded more bachelor’s degrees to African-Americans than any other nonprofit college or university in the country!
#collegesuccess
#firstgen
Thank you,
@nytimes
, for telling the Georgia State story. We are proud to be among the nation’s most innovative and important schools. And congrats, Shantil, on graduating
#thestateway
!
Seeing all of the students, teachers, schools, organizations and
#firstgen
supporters post around
#CelebrateFirstGen
day was so amazing! The
#firstgen
movement is strong and powerful and it so encouraging to see so many forces behind it. Let's keep the good work going!
A great tip:
First-gen students - immerse yourselves in simulated college experiences, like competitive summer prep & bridge programs & visits to campuses that include overnight stays in real dorm rooms.
#firstgen
#studentsuccess
A3: It’s SOOO important for
#firstgen
students to find community & support on campus. Students should research if colleges offer the activities they want to get involved in, and programs to support first-gen students.
#CFMchat
Ditto! Love the encouraging voice of
@MichelleObama
!
Don't ever doubt that you deserve to be there
Don't be afraid to try new things
Whatever you do, don't try to do this alone
Never forget there are so many people who believe in you
#FirstGenerationChat
A4: Each year we publish the I’m First! Guide to College. It provides a special section just for parents and even has a Spanish translation. Check it out at
#LetsTalkCollege
Congrats to all
#firstgen
college graduates! We are so proud of what you have accomplished and we can't wait to see all of the monumental accomplishments you achieve in the very near future! 🎓🎓
"Paying for students to visit campus has become a remarkably simple and successful way for students from low-income, rural and first-generation families to get a feel for college life." 👍
A2: They are evaluating your ability to write, but also want to learn more about you as a person than what they can gather from other parts of the application. Make sure your college essay says something about who you are & who you want to become at their college.
#GSSummerSeries
Is college worth it? Just ask first-generation students embarking on the American Dream.
*spoiler*
Support for higher education, especially for public universities like the University of California, pays off in multiple dividends!
A5: There’s no magic number, but don’t get too carried away. The college search process is an art in finding a diverse group of schools that all have something to offer & where you can see yourself being happy.
5-10 schools seems like a good number.
#GSSummerSeries
@getschooled
A5: Yes! There are many scholarships just for
#FirstGen
students. Search on google or any number of scholarship search sites like . Ask the colleges you’re applying to if they have special scholarship opportunities for students like you.
@CollegeFindMe
A3: (2/2)
#FirstGen
college-bound students are eligible to get FREE college guidance, including an online mentor to provide one-on-one advice through
@strive4c
. Mentors are college students & grads, some are first-gen like you. Check out
@CollegeFindMe
The 2020 I'm First! Guide to College is hot off the press and shipping now. Stock your guidance office, college prep classrooms, or give a copy to each of your
#firstgen
students to carry with them through the college admissions process. Discounts here:
We started out as a First-Gen family. Now there’s 6 degrees among us and we’re nowhere near done! Congrats to my mother on graduating with her 2nd Bachelors degree today from
@WGU
!
#WGUGrad
#ReachHigher
#FirstGenDocs
#ImFirst
"Once I got to college it didn’t just magically make everything better like I had thought. I still had some things I was dealing with, but college was the door to so many other opportunities." 🙂👏
Q2:
#firstgen
are pioneers! They don't get guidance on what college will be like from their parents, so they discover it for themselves. This can be confusing.🙄 Also challenging is not feeling like they belong, fear of failing, self & family expectations.
#FirstGenerationChat
A1: The most pressing concern for Dreamers when attending college has to do with how they will pay for college. In some states students can apply for State Aid. If a student can apply for State Aid, they should have Tax documents ready to submit.
#WeAreTheDream
National
#FirstGen
College Celebration Day is this Friday 11/8 but many
#CelebrateFirstGen
events are happening thru the week! We'd love to see your photos sporting
@ImFirstGen
swag. Don't forget to tag us!
Many have programs to support
#firstgen
, like faculty/peer mentoring. Some colleges, like
@UofCalifornia
, are really excelling in this area & it's so valuable to talk about best practices. Our
@Strive4C
College Partners do just this -
#FirstGenerationChat
A2:
#FirstGen
students face many of the same challenges as all college students, including trouble adjusting to college life, $ concerns, feeling pressure to succeed, & self-doubt. It can feel even more daunting if u are
#FirstGen
. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
@CollegeFindMe
SENIORS: as you’re applying for college and ultimately select your dream school, just know that where you end up is where you should be! Never doubt yourself:
A1: (1/2) A college list is the list of colleges and universities you are considering. The list can start out big (like 20 schools) and then gets narrowed down as you think more about want you want and do more research.
#GSSummerSeries
@getschooled
For a lot of
#firstgen
students across the country, today is the first day of classes in a very different world. It won't be easy, but we know you can do it! You're resilient. You're strong. You're a conqueror. And we all have your back. Go be great.
"It takes a special kind of courage to be the first in your family to pursue a college degree."
College Partner
@UMassLowell
offers extra support to their
#firstgen
students through the River Hawk Scholars Academy. 👍👍
Having special programs & support for
#firstgen
students in college can make all the difference! We are proud to work with almost 200 colleges & universities who do just this. Check them out at
HS seniors! Now's a great time to start searching for colleges and universities that are dedicated to help you, a
#firstgen
student, thrive and be successful on their campuses. Check out the I'm First! Guidebook:
We're interested in
#firstgen
students who are going into their 2nd year of college but, because of the pandemic, will be on their campus for the first time! We'd love to hear how you're feeling and what pushes you forward to continue to succeed:
Today marks the 55th anniversary of the signing of the
#Highered
Act of 1965. On this day we work to elevate the
#firstgen
identity, acknowledge the many accomplishments, and raise awareness. Let's all
#CelebrateFirstGen
! Learn more:
A4: Our
@ImFirstGen
Guide to College provides a template and questions to help you rough out your essay ideas. Check it out at . This is a great place to start.
#GSSummerSeries
#firstgen
A4: When putting together your application & essay avoid trying to ‘say the right thing’. Your app will be unlike anyone else's. Embrace this. Tell your story. Check out these essay do’s & don’t from the
@ImFirstGen
Guide to College
#CFMchat
@CollegeFindMe
A5: It is normally up to the discretion of the student on how to spend the scholarship money. It is wise to use it for school and living expenses. Resist the temptation to buy a new video game. 🤣😋
#GSSummerSeries
A2: One way we help Dreamers while they're in high school is to make sure they know and have access to scholarships that they qualify for!
#WeAreTheDream
If you learn nothing else from this account, incoming
#firstgen
college students, remember this: most campus events will have free food and swag. GO!
On top of the free stuff you can get, this is a great opportunity to meet new people, learn about new opportunities, etc.😀
As students are finalizing their college lists and submitting their applications, we'd like to share a list of colleges and universities across the country that are dedicated to supporting
#firstgen
students:
#firstgen
students - in addition to free college guidance and online mentoring, you can also receive free 3 months of
@magoosh
ACT & SAT test prep!! Sign up to :)
#studentsuccess
Updated Tech’s first generation site with our new bingo board to help student’s on their campus visits. Also includes a workbook like .pdf for college planning guide and student videos. More to come this year!
@ImFirstGen
@gtadmission