Summary
Students will explore and experience a mock PSI enrollment event. They will choose a PSI path: college or career tech. They will then be assigned an award letter that outlines the financial aid estimate they can use at their chosen PSI. Next, students will enroll in school and calculate expenses for tuition and fees, housing, meal plan, books, and extras. Along the way, students will get their school ID, create a semester class schedule, buy a parking and athletic pass, and join a club or Greek organization.
Essential Questions
What programs or courses align best with my career goals, and how do they differ in terms of curriculum, duration, and potential outcomes?
What are the enrollment costs, including tuition, fees, and other expenses, and what financial aid or scholarships are available?
What support services are available, like academic advising, career counseling, and internships, and how can they enhance my education and career readiness?
Learning Goals
Explore the decisions that are involved in the Post-secondary Institution (PSI) enrollment process.
Snapshot
Engage
Students explore different career options through the School’s Out, Now What? activty.
Explore and Explain
Students participate in an event to simulate enrolling in postsecondary education.
Extend
Students discuss their experience at the event using the Four Corners instructional strategy.
Evaluate
Students reflect on their experience by completing an Exclaim and Question activity.
Materials List
Event Set-up package
Booth Materials
Award Letters and Legers
Booth Posters
Booth Flyers
I joined Photo Prop
ID Card Photo Prop
Chance Cards
Colored Clip Boards (optional)
Color Spinning Wheel (optional)
Engage
15 Minute(s)
Day Before Activity:
Before participating in the event, facilitate the School’s Out, Now What? activity with your students.
Through small-group activities, research, and discussion, students will be exposed to a variety of careers, along with their average salaries, educational institutions, and postsecondary requirements. Students will learn about a variety of jobs in eight career clusters and the educational institutions' requirements and costs to attend. Students will examine steps you need to take to reach future goals.
Explore and Explain
Future U: The Enrollment Adventure Event:
Students will be given a random award letter that fits the PSI path (career tech or college) they chose in the previous lesson.
Once students have checked in and picked up their career ledger, they are able to navigate to each booth as they choose. They are required to visit most booths, but the choices they make are up to them and their income. After doing a booth activity, make sure that students have a volunteer initial their ledger to show that they visited the booth.
During this event, students use their ledger sheet to track the steps of the process and any expenses they accrue as they explore enrolling in a PSI. These include things like tuition and fees, housing, meal plans, books, and more. Students will also have some social activities to complete, such as getting an ID made, creating a semester class schedule, joining a club/Greek org., and visiting the library and Writing Center.
See the Booth Materials attachment for details on what the choices are at each booth. It also includes a detailed instruction page for each volunteer and student-facing materials to aid them as they make life decisions.
Extend
The Day after the Event:
To follow up with students the day after the event, have students participate in a Four Corners activity. Post one of the four statements "Strongly Agree," "Agree," "Disagree," and "Strongly Disagree” in each corner of the room. Instruct students to navigate to the corner with the statement that best represents their feelings for each of the prompts below. Ask students to share their thoughts after each question.
You can choose to use all or some of the following prompts:
I feel like yesterday was valuable.
I was surprised by the events I encountered.
I knew what to expect BEFORE I played this enrollment game.
I had money left over in my Bursar account.
I am scared for my future post-secondary education.
When students vote, have them discuss in pairs why they responded the way they did. Then, have one person from each group share out some of the responses.
Evaluate
As a final reflection, use the Exclaim and Question instructional strategy.
Exclaim: What are you looking forward to with your post-secondary education?
Question: What is one (1) thing that you are confused about?
Through these conversations, identify “Next steps” that students will need to take.
Optional Follow-Up Activities
College Enrollment and Success Toolbox
This collection equips students, especially first-generation high school seniors, with knowledge to successfully navigate the college enrollment process. It offers activities that simplify the often-confusing tasks of completing admissions applications, financial aid forms, course registration, and applying for scholarships. By addressing these common barriers, students are better prepared to transition into college life. Additionally, the toolbox provides engaging experiences that empower students to recognize and build key skills—such as organization, self-regulation, time management, and effective study habits—necessary for thriving in the more rigorous and self-directed college environment. These activities help students identify their capabilities and develop confidence that they have what it takes to succeed on their college journey.
Research Rationale
The transition from high school to college is a critical period in students' academic journey. Research suggests that a lack of awareness surrounding college transfer and financial guidance can negatively impact students' ability to transfer successfully, particularly for seniors who are first-generation college students (Ricks & Warren, 2021). Several factors support the enrollment of high school seniors, particularly among first-generation students, such as quality guidance counseling and increasing students' college knowledge regarding navigating the admissions process, researching colleges and scholarships, completing applications, and submitting financial aid forms (Ober et al., 2020).
Many high school seniors face financial obstacles that can deter them from college enrollment (Herbaut & Geven, 2019; Ober et al., 2020). The cost of college can range from application fees, housing, tuition, and textbooks. Without financial guidance, students may quickly become overwhelmed and discouraged (Herbaut & Geven, 2019). They also may experience challenges with navigating the financial aid process. However, providing financial aid information and counseling can assist students in developing a clear understanding of the cost of college and successfully navigating the financial aid process (Ricks & Warren, 2021).
Resources
Herbaut, E., & Geven, K. M. (2019). What works to reduce inequalities in higher education? A systematic review of the (quasi-)experimental literature on outreach and financial aid. St. Louis: Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis.
K20 Center. (2023, September 22). School’s out now what? Choices after high school graduation. Educator Resource. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/educator-resource/2382
K20 Center. (n.d.). Four corners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/138
K20 Center. (n.d.). Exclaim and question. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/94
K20 Center. (2024, April 25). Interview IQ: Preparing for professional interviews. Educator Resource. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/educator-resource/3603
K20 Center. (2023, June 12). Road trip to the future: Exploring minority-serving institutions. Collection. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/collection/2730
K20 Center. (n.d.) Lost in the cross timbers: A college fit fable. Student Resource. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/student-resource/4144
Ober, T. M., Ahn, J., Ali, A., Homer, B. D., Moner, A., Azam, A., & Ramos, N. (2020). A mixed-methods analysis of mechanisms to support college enrollment among low-income high school students. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 6(2), 118.
Ricks, J. R., & Warren, J. M. (2021). Transitioning to college: Experiences of successful first-generation college students. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 11(1), 1-15.
