Kids get a kick out of college day

Malverne High School joined forces with the Howard T. Herber Middle School earlier this month to host the district’s second annual College Day, which included a host of events to get students in grades 5 through 12 thinking about and planning for college.

One of the main events was the College Fair, which gave students in grades 7 through 12 an opportunity to speak one-on-one with admissions officers from a host of private universities, SUNY schools and community colleges. The younger students filled out questionnaires to guide them in their college explorations. Anyone successfully completing the questionnaire was eligible to enter a raffle to win a college T-shirt. Students were also able to view a wall adorned with profiles of all their teachers, including information about which schools they attended and the factors that influenced their college decisions. It proved to be one of the favorite stops for students from both schools.

There were also classroom presentations by college admissions officers and a panel discussion hosted by Malverne High School graduates Gary Taylor (Class of 2004) and Nick Bellotti (Class of 2006), who returned to offer advice and share their own college experiences and successes with current students.

To get everyone in the spirit of the day, the hallways were decorated with college banners, and students and teachers sported their favorite college apparel. In their classrooms, students practiced writing college essays and became more familiar with GuidanceDirect, a program that is used to help match students’ interests with colleges and universities throughout the country.

At the middle school, fifth and sixth graders completed research projects about their favorite colleges, creating displays filled with facts about each school. They also participated in a simulated College Road Trip. Seventh graders completed college applications and eighth graders tried their hand at writing college essays. While the upperclassmen were busy at the college fair, fifth and sixth graders played the college version of “Jeopardy,” testing their college knowledge and picking from categories such as Local Logos, Courses 101, Greek and Latin, On Campus and Final Exam.