The traditional narrative that many students hear early in their educational years is do well in school now so that you can get into a good college with a scholarship later.
Perhaps at one time that was all it. While good grades and strong ACT/SAT scores are still essential, they aren’t enough. Many highly-selective colleges and universities are seeking well-rounded students who also volunteer in the community, seek out internships and research opportunities, and are involved in school and extracurricular activities that also include state and national recognition.
Finding research or internship opportunities on their own can be a challenge for many students. Having connections to the correct resources or someone else who does is not always a possibility. Even knowing where to begin such a search can be hard for most students.
Adrienne Conley is that resource for students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts. Conley serves as Scholar Development Coordinator, which is part of ASMSA’s Student Success Office. While the position may be new this year, Conley previously served as an Admissions Recruiter for the school.
Among Conley’s chief duties is to find internships, external research experiences, nationally competitive programs and other opportunities that help bring distinction to both students and ASMSA. She works to tailor those opportunities with specific students who would most benefit from them.
“The biggest responsibility of my position is to seek out a student’s interest during their sophomore or junior year,” Conley said. “I visit with them for an understanding of what they would like to do, serve as their advocate and work on connecting them with possible opportunities to frame and build their narratives before they transition to our Associate Dean for College Counseling for their college applications process.”
Essentially Conley becomes that first-level resource that leads to other experiences and opportunities that students may struggle to find otherwise. She identifies programs, partnerships, college enrichment camps, competitions, resources, internships and externships as well as global learning opportunities for students to partake in during the summer that build on their direct ASMSA experience.
Conley collaborates with faculty and staff across campus to gather information on those additional programs. It takes everyone working together to make sure students are successful in being selected for those opportunities.
“I am so happy to have the cooperation of our faculty, staff, administration, students and even our parents who contact me as it relates to summer camps, competitions and business/volunteer opportunities for our students. It solidifies that we are all working together to ensure all-around student success!” Conley said.
“Collectively, everyone understands our mission — that our future summers are to be filled with outside-the-classroom learning experiences that build students’ narratives, skills and growth mindsets — (what) sets them apart on their college admissions applications from the norm when they have engaged in high-caliber, meaningful and purpose-filled summer experiences.”
Conley invites anyone who would be interested in helping ASMSA’s students earn those kinds of experiences to contact her. She is building a database of businesses, nonprofits and other entities who are willing to offer students “a transformative summer experience” that helps them ignite their full potential.
While Conley works with all sophomores and juniors on external opportunities, she begins working with one particular set of students early in their ASMSA career. She serves as the lead support for the Early Entrance sophomores, helping them plan what coursework to take. Through individual meetings with students, she helps them determine educational and career goals.
Early Entrance cohort members are profoundly gifted students who join ASMSA’s community of learning as a sophomore. They have grades and test scores that reflect a dedication to serious learning and who would benefit from both acceleration and an additional year of ASMSA’s expanded coursework. The program is in its fourth year of a five-year pilot. Each Early Entrance cohort enrolls a maximum of 20 students.
“I am committed to responding to whatever challenge or barrier our students may have in their way to achieving their goals as a student and young adult,” Conley said. “My role helps to further cultivate our students’ interests and provides them with a person to come to for consistency in maximizing their experiences outside the classroom, prioritizing them on the horizon, assisting them with their growth and success, and to guide our students forward.”
She has biweekly group meetings with the cohort as well as individual weekly meetings with each member of the cohort. Those sessions allow her to get to know each student personally. Most traditional school counselors simply cannot dedicate that kind of time and attention to the needs of promising students.
Conley said she was extremely excited to work with this year’s Early Entrance cohort as she helped recruit several of them as an admissions officer last year. She has witnessed the results of the hard work of the admissions team throughout the recruitment and application process to build this year’s cohort. Conley has been pleased to see how those students have responded to ASMSA.
“Although their applications were impressive, it is most impressive to see their excitement to be among their like-minded peers, their aspirations, their tenacity, their vibrant and cooperative personalities, and eagerness to take all the courses they can within their three years here,” Conley said.
“It is so fulfilling to see the early works of these sophomores who are transitioning well to their new residency and are already doing great things! We have some Early Entrance students contributing to developing study apps, volunteering in the community, leading group discussions, forming their blended study group, they are preparing tips for the next incoming class and working cohesively and building lasting relationships among themselves.”