First in the Family: Practical Ideas for
Helping First Generation and At Risk
Students Go to College and Find
Success
Aliza Gilbert
College Counselor
Highland Park High School
Highland Park, IL
Who is my target population?
Students or Parents?
Students
• Middle School
• Junior High
• High School
Parents
• Motivation
Parents
• Information
*ACM Pre-College Planner for Parents
(available in Spanish)
*NACAC Guide for Parents (available in
Spanish)
*Tips for Parents with Middle School/High
School Teens
• Guidance
Printed Resources for Counselors
• Guiding the Way to Higher Education: Families,
Counselors and Communities Together - A
guide to presenting parent workshops that
promote educational success with students
(NACAC)
• Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling
– Chapter 10: Early College Awareness the
Middle School Years written by Susan Street
(NACAC)
Websites
• First in the Family: Advice about college
www.firstinthefamily.org
• Advice About College from First-Generation
Students
www.nextgenerationpress.org
• Tips for First-Generation College Students
www.ecampustours.com
• Unique Concerns of First-Generation College
Students
www.fastweb.com
• Average Family Income by Educational
Attainment of Householder, 2006
www.postsecondary.org
• College Planning Calendars Grades 7-12
www.collegeaccesscenter.org
• Dream to Reality
www.collegezone.com
• Mapping –your-future
www.mappingyourfuture.org