Engaging Minds Blog

Written by Nancy Keegan 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Though we typically think of the college process as a junior/senior year topic, it's actually better to get our students thinking about college as early as freshman year. The information and questions a 9th grade student may have is going to be very different from a 12th grade student.  A high school freshman’s main concern when thinking about college may be, “Will I like my roommate?” or, “Do they have a Division I volleyball team?”  Ultimately, we want our 9th grade students to be curious about college and appreciate that they are working towards building a strong transcript that will shine on college applications.

In 10th grade, the questions start to get a little more practical, like “How much does college cost?”  And maybe they begin to realize that every grade on their transcript matters and may affect merit scholarships.  By the time a student is a Junior they probably have a short (or long) list of schools they are interested in and the questions are ever more meaningful, like, “Can I get credit for the 10 years of Latin I took at TCS?” Or, “Will there be work study opportunities for me to help pay my college costs?” All of these questions, from the college-life questions to the important financial and academic decisions ahead, are important for our students to ask before they start an application.

Each fall, approximately 200 colleges and universities attend the NACAC College Fair in Honolulu. We recommend that all students plan to attend this fair in their Sophomore or Junior year. While in Hawaii, many mainland schools reach out to local high schools and request to visit the Juniors and Seniors. Talking with the college representatives is a fantastic opportunity for a high school student. 

This year, we sought to bring colleges to our students by hosting our first college fair, TCS College Exploration, held last Friday afternoon, with 19 schools answering our call. The list of colleges and universities present included Grand Canyon University, Northern Arizona University, Trinity Western University*, Whitworth College, Corban University*, University of Hawaii West Oahu, George Fox University*, California Baptist University, University of Hawaii Manoa-School of Engineering, Washington State University, Chaminade University, Windward Community College*, Hawaii Tokai International College, Hawaii Pacific University*, New Saint Andrew's College*, Biola University*, Pacific Rim Christian University, and Pacific Lutheran University*.  Students and parents were given an opportunity to approach the school representatives, begin asking questions, and collect college information.  They were then able to meet with 6 schools in a small group format allowing for a more in-depth presentation and additional questions.  

TCS is graduating a 7th senior class in May 2019.  We are so excited for these students and the future God has in store for them, and we ask all our TCS ohana to pray for our students' futures.  With the help of events like the TCS College Exploration, TCS is able to grow our students into the adults they are meant to be, and prepare for the years beyond TCS.

* indicates schools where TCS alumni have attended or are currently attending.