For 20 years now, College Tracks has been an active part of the B-CC community. It is at five different high schools in Montgomery County but started at B-CC in 2003. Ms. Beatriz Guevara, Program Director for College Tracks at B-CC, said, “College Tracks started at B-CC, because a few parents in the community noticed that some students needed support throughout the college application process and had no one to work with.” Now, College Tracks has grown into a nonprofit serving five different public high schools in MCPS.
College Tracks works tirelessly with students from the start of their junior year to the end of their senior year to help them figure out which college fits best and how to cover their expenses. Ms. Guevara said, “Students should join our program during the first semester of their junior year because we start junior workshops after coming back from winter break.”
Moreover, when it comes to student satisfaction, B-CC students working with College Tracks have positive feedback about the program. A common observation is that it has made the process of applying to colleges and scholarships a lot easier. “College Tracks has helped me immensely in my college application process,” said Senior Lamin Diaby. Furthermore, Senior Eason Zhou shared, “College Tracks helps a lot with college essays.” With College Tracks, more students—international students in particular—now feel a sense of belonging and accomplishment during this stressful and overwhelming process. B-CC alumni, Eisa Siddiqi said, “I thought that I was not going to make it to college, but College Tracks made me confident about my college process.”
Students who did not work with the College Tracks, also feel positively about this program. “If I didn’t have my counselor, I would have joined College Tracks,” said Junior Lily Heintz.
Students who previously struggled with college applications and college essays are in good shape now and all set for college. Similarly, students who would have had to worry about college expenses have access to scholarships and federal aid. According to College Tracks, 84% of students from underserved communities are now poised to earn their bachelor’s degrees.
