Bringing College Onboarding to High Schools: A New Way to Recruit for Promise Programs

Cerritos Complete is a leading Promise Program with an 80% success rate compared to 46% for other first-time students. Each year, over a thousand students receive free tuition, priority enrollment, and support services. To enhance the enrollment rates of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, Cerritos College has forged a collaboration with Bellflower High School. Although the high school boasts a graduation rate of 97%, only 25.5% of its students meet California State University’s A-G course requirements. The College Bound Buccaneers program provided a series of onboarding sessions during the seniors' English or government classes, including Career Exploration in September, Admissions in October, Financial Aid in January, Student Education Plan in February, Orientation in March, and Enrollment Lab in May. Although these students have yet to start their first college term, the results have been significant. In 2023, there were 101 Bellflower students in Cerritos Complete; in 2024, the number increased to 111 students. With the new pilot program, the number rose to 267 students, representing a 240% increase.

Innovators

• Laura Estrada, Assistant Director, Admissions and Records
• Sasha Leonardo, Interim Director, Educational Partnership and Programs
• Jamie Quiroz, Assistant Director, Financial Aid
• Clara Ross-Jones, Career Counselor and Instructor, Counseling Services