Ready for College
Being a high school graduate is not the same as being ready for college.
Over one-third of Massachusetts high school graduates in college needed to take some “remedial” classes to help them get basic skills.(source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education)
This “college readiness gap” shows itself in several ways. Some students graduate from high school and pass tests like the MCAS with skills at a 9th or 10th grade level in key subject areas. But not all of the gaps are in academic skills like math and reading.
- Read this research done by the New York Times, The College Dropout Crisis
Even students that complete “college preparatory” classes are still often seen as unprepared in critical thinking skills that are needed for college-level course work.
It may be that your classes in high school didn’t teach you the skills you need to be successful in college. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t get the help you need now.
Western Massachusetts has several “One-Stop Career Centers” who have classes, tools and one-on-one help to make sure that you are ready for college and have the skills that employers are looking for, too.
College Transition Programs
- Holyoke Community College and the Community Education Project offers a free Transition to College and Career Program.
- The Westfield Promise is an early college program offered through Westfield State in partnership with Westfield Public Schools, Holyoke Public Schools, and Springfield Public Schools. The program enables you to earn up to 12 college credits by the time you graduate high school, greatly increasing the likelihood that you’ll go on to earn a college degree! Learn More.