College Decision Day is inspired by the NCAA's National Signing Day to reinforce the idea that excellence in the classroom should be given as much pomp and circumstance as excellence as an athlete. NCAA's National Signing Day is when high school seniors sign a letter of intent to play sports at a specific college. Traditionally, players participate in press conferences to announce their intentions. Our goal is to mimic this excitement for ALL students going to college. College Decision Day is Michigan's adoption of National College Signing Day, a program of Former First Lady Michelle Obama's Reach Higher initiative which now sits with Better Make Room at The Common Application.
College Decision Day at its core is a celebration of students' success and their commitment to continuing education after high school, and it is designed to help foster and promote a college-going culture within the school building. CBMI sites are encouraged to celebrate the postsecondary decisions of ALL of their graduating seniors, regardless of if they include education right away. The goal is that through completing programming in alignment with CBMI, all seniors have been presented with college as an option for their future.
Expectations of Host Sites:
- Plan a community celebration that recognizes seniors for their postsecondary plans
- Recognize the importance of education after high school
- Engage underclassmen in thinking about the steps to college before their senior year
- Create a sense of accountability in seniors through public commitment to help fight summer melt
- Show students other seniors who are attending the same institution, helping to build a support network even before they get there
- Celebrate the work of teachers, counselors, and community organizations throughout the school year
Resources
College Decision Day is inspired by the NCAA's National Signing Day to reinforce that excellence in the classroom should be given as much pomp and circumstance as excellence as an athlete.