Students and parents often ask about the benefits of attending an Envision program. Andrew Potter, Vice President of Education at Envision, provides his perspective on commonly asked questions. Also see Part I: What is the Envision Experience All About?
What will students gain from the Envision experience?
At Envision, students gain real-world skills. This includes the essential skills and knowledge that today’s young people need to succeed in college, in a career and in a life – including important new abilities to compete and cooperate on a global level.
In a recent 2014 survey of nearly 3,000 Envision alumni, respondents ranked the top 11 ways that Envision programs have helped them improve:
- Stronger leadership skills.
- Stronger teamwork and team-building abilities.
- Greater global awareness and understanding.
- Improved communication.
- More motivation to follow a passion.
- Improved self-esteem.
- Improved peer relationships.
- Better career direction and career understanding.
- More awareness of future opportunities available.
- Greater desire to create change in the community
- Improved critical thinking and analytical skills.
Everything we do is research-based, including an educational platform focused on four critical skill areas: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity/innovation – all at the heart of college and career success. One or more of these key skills are built into every program experience.
Do you think it is affordable?
I believe, like our alumni, that Envision program experiences are valuable and are smart investments that help students develop strategic roadmaps to their futures as productive and happy adults. Our programs help you foster the skills you need to succeed in college, while directing your passions to an exciting career pathway. This will save you time and money in the long run.
I would also point out that, if you are motivated and plan ahead, you can find many ways to fit the Envision experience into your plans by taking advantage of scholarship opportunities and fundraising options.
Will this program experience please colleges?
You can earn college credit at many of our programs. That, of course, is valuable. Admissions advisors seek students who will succeed at their institutions, and who are passionate about learning and positively impacting their communities. By attending an Envision program, you demonstrate your ability to complete college-accredited programming. You also demonstrate that – unlike so many other students – you have a roadmap in mind for what you’d like to study and become.
Keep in mind that your goal as a student is more than just getting in to college. Envision programs are designed to provide you with the skills and behaviors that research shows will help you get through college. After all, the whole point of going to college is to get a degree, right?
Is the Envision experience worth it?
Just ask our past students. We recently polled nearly 3,000 alumni of Envision programs and here’s what we found:
- 95 percent say they were prepared for the challenges of college.
- 94 percent got into their first, second or third college of choice.
- 89 percent completed their undergraduate degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
- 92 percent secured a job within a year of graduating from college and more than half secured a job before graduating from college.
- 95 percent say they were prepared for career challenges.
- 95 percent report that the program made a positive contribution to their lives.
For college- and career-bound students, academic success is no longer enough. Future success skills cannot be found in books, classroom lectures or tests. These are the lessons you can only learn from experience.
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