For many HHS North seniors, the MA College Application Celebration (MCAC) marked a major milestone: Getting admitted to college.
MCAC is an annual event held in collaboration with GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness for Undergraduate Programs). The event allows students to apply during the school day for admissions to college, career prep programs, and the military—with many programs offering same-day admittance and scholarship decisions for qualifying students. This year’s event set a record for student attendance at North. More than 25 college, career, and military pathway representatives participated in the event, allowing students to speak with colleges such as Bay Path University, Westfield State University, and Holyoke Community College, among others.
MCAC by the numbers:
303 applications submitted (for college, careers, and the military)
215 applications were accepted
$2,629,281 in merit scholarships were awarded on a one-year basis
$10,517,124 in merit scholarships were awarded over a four-year basis
While high school seniors participated in MCAC activities, students in grades 9-11 had opportunities to consider their future and do some hands-on planning for their post-high school careers:
Freshman and sophomore students participated in a “reverse job shadow” activity, meeting with representatives from a variety of companies and organizations including Holyoke Police and Fire, a heavy machinery operator, a mobile X-Ray technician, nurses and specialists from Holyoke Medical, and more. Students rotated between classrooms, selecting the five representatives that most interested them so they could learn more about those professions and learn the pros and cons from people already working in those fields..
Meanwhile, students in grade 11 attended a Teen Reality Fair, put on by Junior Achievement. Students took turns role-playing what it would be like to be in their early 20s with an entry-level job and having to balance necessities and fun on relatively small monthly salaries. The exercise showed them how far a starting salary goes, and what kinds of costs and challenges they can expect to encounter when they enter adulthood and the workforce.