Thirty-four students from the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice (SLJ), a college-preparatory high school in Brooklyn, were on campus last week, the culmination of a year-long program called “College Connections.”
“They had a jam-packed schedule,” said Teran R. Tadal '04, assistant dean of Admissions. “They did everything from tour with the Gatekeepers to listen to students give their Steinmetz presentations.”
The students also had lunch with Iota Phi Theta brothers and got a chance to drag race at the Glenville Sportsplex.
Along with Amherst, Bryn Mawr, SUNY Stony Brook, University of Maine and Wesleyan, Union has allied itself with the SLJ advisory program as a host college for members of the sophomore class, providing insight and support to students as they begin their college search.
For the past year, Tadal has been making monthly visits to the SLJ to speak about the college admissions process. Her workshops have included subjects such as the college essay, the interview and how to fill out the common application.
“Last week's visit capped a great year with a great group of students,” said Tadal. “They really got a good sense of how multifaceted Union really is, and I already had quite a few students come up to me and say, ‘I'm coming to Union for college!' That's what it's all about — exposing our little ‘oasis' to those who wouldn't ordinarily know us and having them fall instantly in love.”