By Dustin Tyler Joyce
January 14, 2008

College advice from a trusted advisor can be invaluable to high-school students planning their future—especially when that advice comes from Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. And that’s exactly what more than 150 Atlanta high-school students got at the Mayor’s Youth Program Saturday Session, December 15, 2007.

Franklin spent the day with group after group of a dozen or so high schoolers each. Each group sat in a circle with the mayor, and the mayor fired off her questions to the group—“How many of you have passed the graduation exam? How many of you have been accepted to college? How many are the first to attend college in your family?”—and the students raised their hands in response.

Then it was each student’s turn to speak with the mayor about his/her individual situation. The mayor started off by asking each student more questions: “What’s your GPA? What’s your SAT or ACT score? What colleges have you applied to? Have you received any scholarships?”

Then came the advice.

“You’ve applied to three colleges—that’s good. But you need to apply to at least two more.” Then to the group as a whole: “Each of you needs to apply to at least five colleges and for at least 20 scholarships. … Apply to a school that’s within your reach academically and financially, even if you don’t plan on going there. It’s a backup backup backup plan.”

To a group of students that included some athletes: “Each NFL franchise has two scholarships—one for a male athlete, the other for a female athlete—for students in their city,” Franklin explained, displaying her depth of knowledge of college resources. “You’re an athlete, you’re an athlete, you’re an athlete,” Franklin continued as she pointed to individual students. “You need to go out there and pick up those [athletic] scholarship applications.”

To a student who was unsure about the location of a college to which he had applied: “You need to get yourself a map.” When the student stated that he wasn’t interested in attending a particular school because it was in a cold-weather northern state, Franklin advised, “You’re talking about going to college, not where you’ll live the rest of your life.”

To a student who wanted to go to medical school but didn’t want to take the time to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): “You said you want to be a doctor? Well then, 45 minutes to fill out the FAFSA is nothing” compared to years of medical school.

One student was worried about calling counselors at the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA) too much. Call as often as you need, assured Franklin. “You can worry us to death. And you look like someone who could do that,” she added, the student responding with laughter.

To students who didn’t know their math score on a standardized test: “You know your shoe size; you need to know your math score.”

Another student announced her intent to study cosmetology. “What are you going to do with cosmetology?” inquired the mayor. “Do you want to work for someone else your entire life?” “No,” responded the student, “I want to own my own business.” “Then you need to study business!” came the mayor’s reply.

For these students, much of the worry centered on financing college. The mayor advised: “You’ve got to know how much it costs. You can’t buy something whose price you don’t know. Work on this over the holidays; it’s not enough just to apply.” In speaking on education costs to consider, Franklin noted, “You’ll notice I didn’t say clothes. You don’t need new clothes to go to college.”

Franklin emphasized that all the effort was in preparation for the future. “Just because you can count money doesn’t mean you can make money,” she counseled. “It’s the same as speaking: Just because you can speak doesn’t mean you can write and read.”

The Mayor’s Youth Program is an outreach effort of Franklin’s office and AWDA. High-school students lined up before eight o’clock in the morning to attend the program’s Saturday session. Once inside, they were entered in the agency’s computer system to allow AWDA counselors to follow up and track their progress. Armed with a “passport to the future”, they made their way through a series of stations to prepare them for college and life after high-school graduation.

Workforce development workshops offered students one-on-one tips on résumés, searching for a job, and interviewing. Voter registration was offered to students of voting age, and a voting machine was available to demonstrate how voting works. Various colleges set up booths where students could speak to admissions counselors and pick up printed materials. Students could pick up copies of donated books and Microsoft Office and Microsoft Student software. All attendees were treated to lunch provided by a local business.

The State of Georgia offers its Hope Scholarship to college students who have graduated from a Georgia high school, public or private, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in core classes. The scholarship covers full tuition, including fees and textbooks, at any Georgia public university. A stipend is offered to students who choose to attend a private university in Georgia.

Under Franklin’s direction, the City of Atlanta offers additional assistance to graduates of Atlanta City Schools and the children of city employees. To receive this assistance, students must graduate from high school, take the SAT or ACT, and apply to five colleges, including at least one in metropolitan Atlanta and two in Georgia. Students must also show up for guidance counseling, be engaged, stay out of trouble, and be willing to take a drug and alcohol test. The average grant is $2,700.

The Mayors- National Dollar Wi$e Campaign encourages mayors to address the financial literacy needs of their residents, including preparing and paying for college education. For more information on Dollar Wi$e, please visit www.dollarwiseonline.org, send e-mail to dollarwise@usmayors.org, or call program manager Dustin Tyler Joyce at 202-861-6759.