DSST: Cedar Middle School
DSST College team's response to Affirmative Action ruling and our commitment to student success
09/27/23, 12:18 PM
Dear Students and Families,
Last month, DSST issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action ruling that impacts race being used in college admissions. We reaffirmed our commitment to educational equity, which includes our 9th-12th grade college programming.
Our network leaders of college success set out to listen to and learn from our college and university partners on their response to the ruling. While the ruling means there are some changes to the admissions processes, by and large, colleges and universities have stated they are just as, if not more, devoted to ensuring that they have a diverse student body. Additionally, they want students to authentically share their identities and experiences in their applications.
From the college staff side, we have compiled a list of resources for our students and counselors to do this.
- We provide guidance and individual support for students to integrate their identities into their personal statements if they choose to do so.
- Additionally, we provide a mini-lesson for students to complete an “additional information” short response on the Common Application to share their background or experiences that have impacted their high school journey.
- Finally, we are equipping our college team with even more specialized skills to write genuine, thoughtful, and detailed counselor letters of recommendation - a bedrock to the admissions process.
All of these materials were shared with our college success staff in September.
As a family member, you also play a pivotal role in helping your student prepare for college. Alongside DSST staff, you can:
- Reiterate the importance of higher education as a pathway to economic stability and mobility and that colleges remain committed to diverse student bodies.
- Remind your students that their grades matter and that the habits and mindsets they build in middle and high school will help them in college or whatever postsecondary pathway they choose.
We know DSST has the right leaders in this work. Our campus college success teams are deeply committed to supporting each student and family and ensuring they have the best options available post-DSST. And, we know every other staff member who interacts with our students shares this belief.
If you have any questions about our college team’s response to the AA ruling or any feedback on our college success strategy and program, please do not hesitate to contact me at analise.gonzalez@scienceandtech.org. If you have questions about your student and your school’s college campus team, please contact your campus Director of College Success.
Analise Gonzalez-Fine
Director of College Initiatives
