As college application season intensified, students enrolled in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program at San Rafael High were navigating deadlines, personal insight questions (PIQs), and application requirements with varying levels of preparation and support.
AVID is designed to help students develop academic, organizational, and college readiness skills. During the fall semester, seniors in AVID work to complete college applications while underclassmen in the program reflect on grades, manage deadlines in other classes, and begin preparing for their own future college requirements.
Heidi Lopez, a senior at SRHS, who has been an AVID student for four years, stated, “They give me the time to work on my college applications during class.”
Myrna Escamilla, a senior who is now in her second year of AVID, said that early preparation helped reduce stress during application season. “We worked on PIQs pretty early on; half of mine were already done because I worked on them last year,” said Escamilla. “It’s super helpful to know all of your information is on one Google Sheet.”
Several senior students said that while AVID offers guidance and resources, they wished there were a strong push to keep them disciplined during college application season. Some felt that earlier and stricter enforcement of accountability could have helped them prevent procrastination. Others noted that without consistent check-ins, it became easier to fall behind.
“I wish they could’ve pushed me more and actually focused on college apps,” said Kesler Sapao, a senior in AVID.
Others brought up similar concerns, saying that they felt preparations were delayed. “I wished they would have mentioned it sooner, like sophomore year at least,” said Lopez.
Mr. De La Rosa, who is in his fourth year teaching AVID, said the program focuses heavily on executive skills, such as time management and self-reflection. “We talked about time management and grade reflection. That’s someone keeping an eye on you,” said Mr. De La Rosa. He emphasized that while AVID offers support, students’ initiative plays a central role in success.
“So what does AVID stand for? Advanced Via Individual Determination,” said Mr. De La Rosa. “If you’re not finding that determination within yourself, it doesn’t matter what class or what the teacher does.” He noted that teachers can provide guidance and check-ins, but cannot monitor every student constantly due to large class sizes.
Mr. Brunet, an AVID sophomore teacher, emphasized accountability, saying students must learn how to seek and apply help. “They need to be responsible for their actions and start to realize that there are people out there who are going to help them,” said Mr. Brunet. “One, I need them to be good at asking for help. Two, I need them to be good at executing after they ask for help.”
Mr. De La Rosa said different teachers may be better suited to teach different grade levels depending on students’ needs. He said he prefers working with younger students to build foundational skills like organization, note-taking, resume writing, and professional email communication.
During the middle of the first semester, all AVID students across grade levels were assigned a family research project. The project required students to interview a family member about push and pull factors related to immigration, complete guide reflections, create slide presentations, and produce a final video combining photographs, cultural background, and narration.
However, seniors said the project’s timing conflicted with college application deadlines in ways that underclassmen did not experience. While younger students completed the assignment without the added pressure of applications, seniors had to balance both responsibilities, which made the semester more challenging.
Multiple seniors expressed concern about completing non-college-related projects during application season. “I felt like the project should be moved, or we shouldn’t be given a project at all this semester, and our final should be applying to college,” said Astrid Carranza, a fourth-year AVID senior.
Escamilla also noted the added pressure. “I think AVID’s main focus is college, so they shouldn’t have us do something at the same time as college apps when college has always been the priority,” said Escamilla.
Dulce De Leon, a senior in AVID, shared that the college application process was especially challenging for her as a first-generation student. She explained that balancing a job to help afford college, taking AP classes, and figuring out where and how to begin applying made the process overwhelming. When asked about her FAFSA experience, De Leon said, “I used my mom’s taxes. She didn’t really understand why I needed her taxes and all of her information.”
Many students said they joined AVID because they are first-generation college applicants and wanted guidance through the process. “I’m a first-generation student and don’t know how to manage college applications, so I thought it would be a great help,” said Yaneidi Ordonez, a senior who has been in AVID since freshman year.
Mr. De La Rosa said his experience as a first-generation college student allows him to connect with students. “One of my biggest strengths is connection. The emotional connection, the understanding of where you guys are coming from,” said Mr. De La Rosa.
Some students said expectations did not always match reality, particularly regarding application support. Ordonez, along with other students, thought that their college apps would be paid for by AVID, but ended up paying out of pocket. Other students sought support outside the programs, such as Huckleberry and 10,000 Degrees.
“I joined AVID to be college-ready, and I was motivated by my teacher from Davidson,” said Francisco Ricalday, a senior at SRHS who has been in AVID since seventh grade. Ricalday said that the program influenced his academic trajectory. “She really inspired me to go beyond my expectations by taking AP and honors classes,” said Ricalday, referring to his middle school AVID teacher.
Ricalday also said visiting college campuses helped him reflect on his future, “It helped me understand what career I want to do by making us go to different colleges.” When asked about his opinion on the family research project given during the college apps season, Ricalday compared it to the unpredictability of college coursework: “You’re just going to have to prepare for the worst and actually utilize your time.”
While students’ experiences differed, many agreed that AVID provides resources and structure, but that success ultimately depends on individual effort.
“At the end of the day, it’s the person who decides whether or not to do it,” said Ricalday.
