Milton Hershey School and Dickinson College Kick Off New Partnership

Milton Hershey School and Dickinson College recently launched the new Pathways to College program. During the weeklong program, Dickinson staff and faculty worked with 15 MHS students to chart successful paths toward the country’s best colleges and universities.

“The program is a summer enrichment experience for MHS students considering selective colleges,” explained Tara Vasold Fischer ’02, Dickinson dean and director of academic advising, a leader in planning and conducting the program. The first four days of the program were held at MHS. The last day featured a visit to Dickinson’s campus with a tour and more precollege advising.

Photo courtesy of Dickinson College

Individual sessions were devoted to the college application process, how to find “fit” between a student’s aspirations and their college choice, key elements of college experience such as writing and information literacy, and a sample class on globalization.

“Our students gained exposure to topics, extended their learning, and received a glimpse into the many possibilities their futures hold by participating in this program,” shared William Weber, MHS head of Senior Division. “Armed with this background knowledge, they will be better equipped and more confident when entering the world of a highly-competitive postsecondary experience.”

The Pathways to College program builds upon the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) MHS signed with Dickinson College in January 2019. The MOU and new Pathways to College program marks an intentional collaborative effort between the two educational institutions to increase graduation outcomes for low-income college students, many who also are first-generation college students.

Milton Hershey School’s Graduate Programs for Success (GPS) Division is focused on continually identifying ways to foster student and graduate success through a multi-tiered system of support. Through the GPS Division, dedicated career counselors, teachers, and transition specialists support students and alumni of all ages beginning in middle school and continuing to their time in college, technical programs, the workforce, or the military. Including its partnership with Dickinson College, MHS has developed 20 partnerships with postsecondary institutions in Pennsylvania that provide additional support to alumni.

Photos for this story are courtesy of Dickinson College.