What's Good, New York?

OneGoal's Jenny Estevez-Cray has three things to know about CUNY's Black Male Initiative: The CUNY Black Male Initiative is a University-wide student development initiative focused on supporting underrepresented students, particularly men of color. However, the Black Male Initiative is not only for black males. BMI welcomes everyone. BMI’s successful program increases retention and graduation rates by offering peer mentoring and leadership and networking opportunities for its students. Upperclassmen can then get paid to become peer mentors. Black Male Initiative is offered at every CUNY campus. Be on the lookout for an info session or e-mail at the beginning of freshman year to see if it’s a fit for you.

OneGoal's Craig Weiner has Five Things to Know About Enrollment Decisions: Be Your Best Advocate If you haven't heard from a college, have questions or are missing a financial aid package don't hesitate to reach to admissions and financial aid offices, your OneGoal teacher and your OneGoal coach! Financial Aid Make sure you have completed FAFSA and TAP Do you know what your out-of-pocket expenses would be at each option? Remember, OneGoal does not advise students to take Parent Plus or other private loans for college. There are other options that won’t put you and your family in a lot of debt, such as the New York State Excelsior Scholarship or ASAP’s tuition waiver. Know Your Options & Narrow it Down Which options meet the criteria that’s right for you? That might include major, financial goals or social environment. Don’t forget to check to see if your option is Recommended by OneGoal, meaning they have a strong graduation rate. If the college’s graduation rate isn’t strong, do they have a support program that you’re eligible for? Examples include ASAP, College Discovery, SEEK, EOP or HEOP. Attending a Recommended College or Opportunity Program is called Smart-Matching. Confirm Your Spot Most commitment deadlines are May 1st, but some colleges have moved their deadlines back due to COVID-19. Check with your admissions department to confirm. You may also be eligible to have your commitment deposit waived. At CUNYs and SUNYs, if your EFC from your FAFSA is less than 3,000, you can either get a waiver or your fee will automatically be waived. Check with your admissions department to confirm. Complete Enrollment Steps Congratulations, you’ve made your commitment! Now, tell OneGoal all about it by completing the Enrollment Form, so we can continue to provide support. You will need to complete a series of enrollment steps throughout the summer, such as confirming financial aid, submitting immunization forms and attending orientation. One of the most important things to do is set up your new college student online account and email so you can stay informed of the steps you need to take to be ready for your first semester as a college student

OneGoal's Julia Morris has three things to know about Educational Opportunity Centers (EOCs): If you are looking for free vocational training after high school, consider joining an Educational Opportunity Center, or EOC. EOCs offer a variety of training programs, including Certified Nursing Assistant, Civil Service Exam training, Certified Microsoft Office training, Medical Billing and more! Some programs may vary by borough, but you can attend any EOC. For example, the Bronx is the only EOC that offers a Master Barber program, but you can enroll even if you live in another borough. EOC programs are tuition-free and offered in each borough except Staten Island. You just have to be at least 18 years old and have proof of New York State residency.

OneGoal's Nicole Petraglia has three things to know about the Foster Care Initiative for college students in New York: CUNY has programs designed to support students who are in or have formerly been in foster care. These programs provide additional financial, academic and socio-emotional support for students who have been in foster care. There is also limited, year-round housing available. Eligible students must be in or on track to be in either ASAP, College Discovery or SEEK. Learn more about CUNY's Foster Care Initiative Learn more about the State of New York's Foster Youth College Success Initiative

OneGoal's Stephanie Flores has 3 Things to Know About CUNY's EDGE Program: CUNY EDGE is a program designed to support students who are on public assistance. Students who receive cash assistance from HRA are eligible for the program. EDGE provides individualized academic, personal, and career planning support, as well as a fellowship program in which students are able to work up to 19 hours per week in a field relevant to their interests. Students may be in another program such as CD, SEEK or ASAP and also be a part of EDGE, as well. EDGE is offered at each CUNY community and senior college, so reach out to the EDGE office at your school if you are eligible to receive these supports.

OneGoal's Rich Robinson has Three Things to Know About... CUNY Start CUNY Start is a program designed to support students who haven’t quite met the math, reading and writing requirements for CUNY’s associates degree programs. CUNY Start participants enroll in either a full or part-time one semester program that helps students prepare for college-level coursework and to meet CUNY’s proficiency milestones prior to starting credit-bearing courses. This program saves students money because you don’t have to pay tuition or use your financial aid for the program. There is a $75 fee, which includes all textbooks and materials and a free Metrocard. For students who only need math support, there is a program called Math Start that is only $35. Students in CUNY Start have direct access to the ASAP program, which provides free Metrocards and books, academic advisement and free tuition to any student who receives at least one dollar of financial aid.

OneGoal's Shawn Sadjatumwadee has Three Things to Know About... ACE! ACE stands for “Accelerate Complete Engage” and is offered only at Lehman College and John Jay College of Criminal Justice ACE is based on the successful ASAP program, offering the same benefits of free Metrocards and books, academic advisement, and a free tuition to anyone who receives at least one dollar of financial aid. Spots in the ACE program are extremely limited, so apply as soon as you commit to Lehman or John Jay. Students in the ACE program graduate at far higher rates than students who are not in the program. Save money and graduate faster with ACE!

OneGoal's Grant Thomas has Three Things to Know About Apple Corps: Apple Corps is a CUNY program for students interested in social justice issues, public service or law enforcement careers and provides them with the opportunity to give back to New York City communities while gaining valuable leadership experiences. Apple Corps provides a stipend of $20,000 over two years, paid summer internships, peer mentors and more. Apple Corps is only available at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and any CUNY community college, except for Guttman. The application deadline has been extended to April 1st and the application can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/APPLECorps2020

OneGoal's Nicole Petraglia has three things to know about Smart-Matching: 1. Smart-Matching is how OneGoal answers the question "How do I know I'm going to a college or program that will support me toward completion?" 2. Smart-Match programs are "student-ready," meaning they meet the needs of a diverse population of students, rather than forcing students to adjust to white-dominant institutions. 3. A Fellow can Smart-Match by either attending a Recommended College or enrolling in an Opportunity Program.

Craig Weiner of OneGoal New York gives three quick things to know about Opportunity Programs in New York: Opportunity Programs are designed to support students with financial need who do not meet original admissions requirements.  CUNY has SEEK for four year colleges and College Discovery (CD) for community colleges. SUNY has EOP and the private college equivalent is HEOP. Students in good standing in one opportunity program can transfer to another college's opportunity program and receive the same benefits. Students are notifed by e-mail during the application process if they are eligible and must provide financial documentation to officially qualify.  

OneGoal's Jenny Estevez-Cray has three things to know about Recommended Colleges: 1. Recommended Colleges have an Underrepresented Minority (URM) grad rate that is better than most colleges in its selectivity tier 2. For competitive four-year colleges, OneGoal recommends schools that are in the top half among its competitors. For less competitive four-year and community colleges, colleges must be in the top 25% among its peers. 3. Attending a Recommended College can give Fellows confidence that the program is committed to supporting students of color toward graduation.

OneGoal's Stephanie Flores has three things to know about Graduation Rates: 1. It's the percentage of students who graduate from a college or program 2. We look at graduation rate at 150% time, i.e. 6 years for a bachelors and 3 years for an associates degree 3. Underrepresented Minority (URM) grad rate is a key indicator of how a college or program supports students of color

Host Craig Weiner visits with Meylin Andares, SUNY's Director of Enrollment Management & Student Success to learn more about her journey from undocumented immigrant in NYC to graduate of the SUNY Albany, as well as what students can expect from going away to college within the SUNY university system.

Host Craig Weiner sits down with Guttman's Director of Admissions Sophea Sainsurin and Admissions Advisor (and Guttman alumna) Shomari Townsend to hear how two NYC natives navigated their college and career process and found their way to one of the best community colleges in the country.

OneGoal's Craig Weiner listens in as Huthaifah Kareem shares his journey from growing up in East New York to high school dropout to college graduate to Assistant Director for Diversity Outreach and Recruitment at the #1 college for social mobility in the United States, CUNY's Baruch College.

OneGoal's Craig Weiner sits down with Hunter College's Miesha Smith (Director of Student Life) and Joe Fantozzi (Director of Recruitment and First Year Scholarships) to talk about ways students can find a place for themselves at one of CUNY's premier four-year colleges.

Craig Weiner sits down on campus with Richard Alvarez, the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Retention at Queens College, a OneGoal partner.

OneGoal New York's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee members Payal Kapadia, Stephanie Flores and Eris Johnson-Smith hop on the podcast to talk about their personal connection to DEI work and share helpful resources and self-care tips, as well.

Host Craig Weiner gives an introduction into what this OneGoal New York podcast will be all about.

Craig Weiner of OneGoal New York previews his 3 Things to Know About... ASAP. CUNY's Accelerated Studies in Associates Program (ASAP) offers: Triple the graduation rates of peers not in ASAP Free tuition, free books and a free unlimited Metrocard Availability at all community colleges (except Guttman, which operates an ASAP for all model), plus Medgar Evers, City Tech and College of Staten Island. To enroll, visit your college's ASAP office on campus the summer before your first class to complete a quick and easy process. Visit the ASAP website to learn more.

Craig Weiner of OneGoal New York previews three things to know about CUNY's Guttman Community College: #1 community college in NY, with the highest grad rate! Small college located in Bryant Park in Manhattan, with only 450 students per year Unique application process that includes Apply on the CUNY application in October Attend an on-campus info session in November Attend an on-campus individual meeting in December