Utah high schools, higher education encourage students to apply to college

Austin Taylor completed two college applications Wednesday — one to Southern Utah University and another to Snow College.

The Kearns High School senior hopes to study medicine and eventually work in a hospital emergency room. And he wants to start his education at a junior college before transferring to a Tier 1 school like the University of Utah.

He's ready to graduate from high school and move on.

But despite all that thinking about college, Taylor acknowledged he might not have finished his applications so early without a little gentle pressure: He filled out the forms in the Kearns High School library surrounded by his classmates and watched over by a fleet of school counselors, volunteers and Utah's Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox.

"I don't think I would've done it at home," he said. "I probably would have slacked off."

The event was part of Utah College Application Week, an initiative sponsored by the Utah System of Higher Education to promote college enrollment and provide students with help while navigating the application process. Organizers hope the push results in 20,000 applications from 50 participating schools and a wave of incoming freshmen in the fall.

"It can be a little intimidating and a little bit confusing," said David Buhler, Utah's commissioner of higher education. "A lot of students have a desire to go to college but they don't know how to go about it."

College Application Week is in its second year, Buhler said, and officials hope it continues to grow.

At Kearns, which was among the 15 original schools that participated last year, banners and decorations lined the hallways, promoting Utah's public and private colleges. Students who completed applications received free T-shirts and other prizes.

Last year, 82 percent of Kearns' senior class completed at least one application, school counselor Danie Natter said. The school is aiming for 85 percent of seniors this year.

"College Application Week is one of my favorite things we do," Natter said. "It gives (students) an avenue where they have help, where they have someone who can cheer for them and be excited."

In Utah, 27.6 percent of adults have some college, but no degree, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, leaving the state with one of the highest non-completion rates in the country.

Buhler said the state's college and university presidents are developing strategies to improve degree completion, but initiatives like College Application Week are designed to target the "beginning of the pipeline" and provide outreach to underserved populations and first-generation college students.

"We know that we need to have more start going to college to have more finish college," he said.

The lieutenant governor spent the morning helping students with their applications and chatting with them about their intended alma maters. Too often, Cox said, educators talk about the need to continue education beyond high school, but fail to follow through on the steps required to enroll in higher education.

"Life happens and deadlines are missed," he said.

Cox said the state's economy depends on removing the barriers between grade school and college and that one of the priorities of Gov. Gary Herbert is to increase the number of school counselors who can help guide students through the transition to postsecondary education.

"We need great, trained counselors to help cut through the clutter," he said.

Kearns High School student Robert Schley said he appreciated having help nearby while he applied to Salt Lake Community College.

"I did have a lot of questions," he said. "This is my first time doing it, so I was glad I had help."

Salt Lake Tribune reporter Annie Knox contribued to this report.

bwood@sltrib.com