College Counseling and Test Preparation

Click on the photo to see a video clip of Andrea Mondragon talking about getting into college.

Andrea Mondragon, a member of the Taos High School Class of 2003 and a Bridges and College Summit participant, is now at Notre Dame University in the class of 2007.

Opportunities for Students
Bridges offers a variety of opportunities for various grade levels. One-on-one college counseling is available for all high school students. College prep workshops are available to seniors during the first semester and will be made available to juniors during second semester.

One-on-One College Counseling
Although technological resources are a big help to the college-bound student, nothing can replace a one-on-one conversation with a skilled college counselor. That's what Bridges provides, free of charge. Sometimes the application and financing procedures for going to college can take a year. It takes a lot to stay focused. Preparing for college by taking prerequisite courses means thinking about college even earlier.Bridges walks side-by-side with students throughout the process. Bridges works with anyone that wants to go to college, with an emphasis on first generation college-goers, minority, and those from Taos, Peñasco, and Questa, New Mexico.

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Taos High School College Prep Workshops
Bridges Project for Education is pleased to offer a series of monthly workshops during the first semester of the 2004-05 school year. This program, designed to help seniors on their road to college, is held during the seminar period on Tuesdays through Fridays. Please call our office at 758-5074 for more information. In addition, Bridges offers free, one-on-one college counseling Tuesdays through Fridays after school from 3-5 pm at our office located in the Arriba Mortgage building on the corner of Placitas Road and Paseo del Pueblo Norte. Call for an appointment. Students can also sign up, in the Taos High School counseling office, to meet with a Bridges counselor during seminar period when we are not conducting workshops.

Workshop Curriculum — First Semester 2004 - 2005 School Year
All sessions will be held during the seminar period in computer lab A.

College Prep Orientation — September 21 and 23
Two one-day seminars that will provide an overview of the college application process.

ACT Prep
October 12th — 15th
October 19th — 21st

Seven-session workshop meeting Tuesdays through Fridays for two weeks. Get ready for the October 23rd ACT!

College Application Essay Writing
November 9th —12th
November 16th — 19th

Eight-session workshop meeting Tuesdays through Fridays for two weeks. Learn how to write a great essay that you can use in your college and scholarship applications!

Financial Aid Workshop
December 7th and 9th Two one-day seminars that will provide an overview of the financial aid world.

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College Summit
Since 1998, Bridges has participated in College Summit, a national non-profit organization that helps talented students enroll in college. College Summit condenses the college application process into a four-day on-campus, residential workshop. With the help of a team of adults, students select appropriate colleges for application, complete a common application, write a personal essay, and learn about financial aid. Students attend this workshop in the summer following their junior year and enter their senior year having completed a great deal of the college application process.

Over the past seven summers, 87 Bridges students have attended College Summits at Colorado College, Regis University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Fort Lewis College, University of Southern Colorado, and University of Northern Colorado.

2003 graduates from Taos High School who attended College Summit or joined the weekly College Summit meetings during their senior year are currently enrolled at Colorado College, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico State University, Pepperdine University and University of New Mexico.

Bridges attended College Summit during the summer of 2004 with a group of Taos High School Seniors.

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Bridges Project/LANL Peñasco College Prep Program
The LANL Foundation and the Bridges Project for Education have a long-standing relationship. The LANL Foundation is a valued and much appreciated partner. LANL funds have helped Bridges Project enhance its services in the Taos area and have also allowed us to extend ourselves to Peñasco High School. The 2004-05 Bridges' LANL College Counseling Program serves Peñasco High School by providing educational and career counseling, group and classroom activities, ongoing ACT preparation, parent-student newsletters, campus tours and helps students with their scholarship and financial aid applications.