The CHANCE Program is a good program. At least, that is my opinion of it. The reason why I say CHANCE is a good program is because it helped me out a lot. You see, I’m a CHANCE student myself.

I wasn’t accepted through CHANCE because I lacked basic academic skills. I was accepted through Chance because I scored low on the ACT.

I guess you are saying, well, if she received low scores on the ACT evidently she lacks the basic academic skills. Well, that’s not the story with me.

You see, I scored high on subjects I wasn’t good in and low on subjects I was good in. So, if you ask me, I feel the ACT doesn’t show what a student is really capable of doing.

Considering you are admitted into college depending on a certain score from the ACT, it says a lot.

The CHANCE Program helped me out a lot not by getting me into Northern Illinois University, but by giving me assistance with my classes after getting into the university.

When you enter the CHANCE Program, you are required to take four classes. The four classes are CIRE 100, COMS 100, ENGL 103, and MATH 110.

You are given a test for each class. You can either score out of the class, score high enough so that you take the class for one semester, or score so low that you take the class for two semesters.

Regular admission students have to take the same courses but only for one semester.

While taking these classes through the CHANCE Program, you are required to go to labs and request a tutor when you need help. The labs and tutors are a big help, especially when you are first starting off in your classes.

I believe without these types of assistance a lot of CHANCE students wouldn’t be here today.

I feel a lot of people fail to realize what the CHANCE Program really is. The CHANCE Program is exactly as it is called (a program which gives students a chance to prove what they are capable of doing in education).

Everyone is given a chance to go to college if they score high enough on the ACT or receive a scholarship. Well, the CHANCE Program just helps the students who have a high grade point average in school but didn’t score high enough on the ACT or receive a scholarship.

In conclusion, I feel the CHANCE Program is a big help and I hope it continues at NIU. If the CHANCE Program is discontinued for any reason I believe it will affect a lot of people.

What I mean by affect is all those people who would like to go to college and can’t get in because of low scores on the ACT or no scholarship will probably never get to go to college or will have to wait until they have gone to a junior college for two years.

I feel that all colleges and universities should have a CHANCE Program or a similar kind of program.

Bridgette Bailey

CHANCE student