College readiness refers to the set of skills, knowledge, and behaviors a high school student should have upon graduation and entering their freshmen year of college. It is the level of preparation a student needs to be ready to enroll and succeed in post-secondary institutions or gain viable employment. College readiness is important because it improves a students chance of completing their degree and having a properly skilled workforce that meets the demands of the 21st century. College readiness includes cognitive, personal, and interpersonal skills that enable students to both acquire and act on knowledge. Some key components of college readiness include:
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Knowledge: Students should have a solid foundation of lifelong learning skills, including class rank, coursework, GPA, and test scores (ACT / SAT) .
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Skills: Students should have the ability to find success while studying at an institute of higher learning, including key cognitive strategies and content knowledge.
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Behaviors: Students should be prepared emotionally, socially, and academically to succeed in college by putting their college awareness skills into action.
Teachers and counselors play a key role in ensuring that students are college-ready and can help students find academic success in college. High schools use college readiness to determine the quality of a students education, and college admissions teams use it to determine whether or not they should extend an acceptance letter to a student.
