Health & Fitness
CBO Helps Students Break College Barriers
Program assists underserved high schoolers with college application process.
“I want to go to college and have a successful career,” HPHS senior Ferni Cruz said about her goals for the future. That is why the Highland Park native applied to College Bound Opportunities (CBO).
CBO is a scholarship and mentoring program for economically disadvantaged students in District 113 and 115. Students apply to the program during junior year. If accepted, they’re matched with a mentor who assists them during the college application process. Students are also awarded up to $4,000 a year in
scholarship money.
“The goal is to find these underserved students and give them access to a college
education,” CBO Executive Director Susan Bell stated.
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Cruz will be the first member of her family to go to college, which is why a mentor was extremely beneficial. She was paired with the mother of one of her classmates
who helped her along the way.
The program also includes an annual onsite admissions forum. On Oct. 25, 500 students from around Illinois met with over 70 college and universities in Chicago.
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The night before this year’s event, Cruz and some of her CBO peers had a sleepover to practice interview questions and make sure everyone got to bed on time.
In a packed banquet hall, Cruz met with a handful of college representatives who notified her that she had been accepted. “I walked out with a huge smile on my face,” she said. “It just made me feel so much better and proud of myself.”
“A lot of schools these days don’t do interviews,” Bell explained and added the forum is a perk to the program because it allows students to meet face to face with college admissions people.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to see how excited these students are to go to college,” Bell said. “When they graduate, that’s the ultimate goal,” which is why CBO mentors remain in constant contact with students during college.
“I think that it’s really helpful,” Cruz said about being able to keep in touch with her coach after high school. “High school is really stressful but college is
probably 10 times more stressful.”
CBO is currently accepting applications for its scholarship program. Students must be a high school junior living in District 113 or 115, have a GPA of 2.8 or higher
and must demonstrate real financial need. The deadline to apply is Jan. 6. Click
here for more information about CBO.
