Teenagers are flocking to the Rice University campus this month to prepare for college life. No, it is not the famous O-Week; instead, it is Connectrix, an initiative aimed at preparing high school underclassmen for their future educational endeavors.
The program, which bears a resemblance to Rice’s freshman orientation program, offers comprehensive support for high schoolers to help them choose, apply to and attend college. It is held in partnership with Houston Independent School District’s Postsecondary Programming team and Discover U.
“These students are just finishing their freshman year of high school, and Connectrix gets them to start thinking about exploring college. We talk about majors and careers to expose them to ideas that maybe they might not experience in high school,” said Program Coordinator Cole Holladay. “Our main goal is to encourage them to seek out opportunities they might not traditionally be introduced to otherwise.”
Participants spend a week in dorms, where they familiarize themselves with college life and attend seminars and activities focused on the application process, financial aid, resume building and more. The program provides students with information on scholarships, crafting effective admissions essays, SAT and ACT prep and how to advocate for themselves.
As a wrap-around experience, Connectrix also aims to close the gap in education resources that high achieving and underrepresented students face by providing them with invaluable information and the opportunity to bond with other participants and advisors with similar goals and backgrounds.
“We help them become competitive college applicants. A big part of that is mentorship. Not only do they spend a week in the program together, but we have an alumni program where students return back to campus every semester, and they receive more college readiness curriculum,” Holladay said.
This year, Connectrix admitted 135 students to its three summer cohorts – more than twice the largest number of attendees in previous years – who are looking to reap its benefits.
Program audits of previous Connectrix participants showed a 77% increase in student’s knowledge about and plans to apply to college. Students also reported an increased understanding of resources to increase accessibility to higher education, and 57% showed growth in leadership abilities. They also reported increases in their confidence to independently fill out college applications after completing the program.
Bellaire High School student Kayla Horn summed up her time with Connectrix as something that will last for years to come.
“I learned a lot about what college is and the steps that happen after you graduate high school,” she said. “My mentors explained, step by step, how they were able to make the transition into college. I learned about how they made it possible to get accepted into a place like Rice.”
She made the most out of her social connections during her week on campus, too.
“It's really fun. I made so many friends. I love my advisors,” she said.
Formerly known as the Young Owl Leadership Program, Connectrix was created and led by Rice students. Now entering its tenth year, the organization has registered as a nonprofit and holds plans to expand into other colleges.