REACH – REdefining ACHievement
In College and Career Placement

If you’re reading this you are a Dunellen High School student (or parent) who is in a position to benefit from an increased emphasis on proactiveness in college and career placement beginning as early as freshman year. “REdefining ACHievement in College and Career Placement - or more concisely REACH - is a new program that is administered through the Guidance Department and supported by administrators, teachers and staff district wide.

The goal of REACH is two-fold:

1. To afford Dunellen High School students and parents an opportunity to begin    thinking about and planning for college and careers at an earlier point in a high school student’s career; and,

2. To encourage a general notching-up of college and career placement outcomes by Dunellen High School graduating seniors – i.e., students planning to attend four- year colleges would attend more competitive four-year colleges; students planning to attend two-year colleges would go to four-year colleges; students not planning to attend college would go to two-year or four-year colleges; students who do not go to college would improve their occupational choices.

REACH is graduated in the sense that students may begin participation at any point in their high school career.  However, it is strongly recommended that students begin their planning as early as possible with freshman year the optimum time.  And certain financial aspects of college planning – saving money, for example – should be addressed by parents before a student’s freshman year in high school.

An overarching theme has been assigned to each year of high school, thus forming the basis for REACH.  The theme for the entire high school experience is “Be Prepared,” and some of the steps you can take are:

·        Maintain your four-year education plan;

·        Take the most challenging courses that you can complete successfully;

·        Do your best in all class work – establish and maintain strong study habits and time management skills;

·        Participate in student/parent career planning activities;

·        Develop a reading plan that includes newspapers, magazines and books – this will help you prepare for tests and interviews.

Information about REACH, which stresses proactiveness and beginning the college and career placement process earlier in a student's high school career, is now available online.
 

It is recommended that students and parents familiarize themselves with REACH for the student's current year and for the year or years that follow.  Please direct any questions and comments to the Guidance Department (732-968-0885, ext. 13).