Midway through her junior year at Dunkirk High, Ms. Vega discovered the 3-1-3 program at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Nudged by her mother, Dunkirk High School Parent-Teacher Organization President Olga Millan, Ms. Vega signed up for English Composition and Introduction to Psychology courses at SUNY Fredonia.
 
The result: one dramatically happier teenager and, in fall 2005, one more full-time student for SUNY Fredonia.
 
"I really love it," said Ms. Vega, who will enroll at SUNY Fredonia full-time following her graduation from Dunkirk High. "I love the people. There are so many different people, and they’re all here for the same reason – to learn. I can walk around, look at the buildings, the sculptures...it reminds me of New York, even though it’s such a small community. There is so much going on."
 
High school juniors interested in starting 3-1-3 next fall are invited with their parents to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. in 209 McEwen Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus. Representatives from the Office of Admissions and the Office of Financial Aid will discuss some of the most important issues facing potential 3-1-3 candidates. Guidance counselors and current participants will also speak about their experience with the SUNY Fredonia 3-1-3 program.
 
Sixty-four students from seven area school districts, including Brocton, Cassadaga, Dunkirk, Forestville, Fredonia, Ripley and Silver Creek, are currently participating in the 3-1-3 program at SUNY Fredonia. Founded in the early 1970s, 3-1-3 is based on the concept that eligible young people will attend three years of high school, spend their senior year splitting time between high school and college and then earn a bachelor’s degree in three more years.
 
"We look at the 3-1-3 program as an opportunity to give local high school students a chance to see what college is all about," said Liza Smith, director of the SUNY Fredonia Learning Center. "It is getting easier for many students to accumulate college credit as high school seniors through online courses, junior colleges and advanced placement tests, but 3-1-3 allows a student to actually come on campus and experience college life. They have an opportunity to interact with other students, and we feel that is very important."
 
Some young people may assume that the SUNY Fredonia 3-1-3 program is beyond their reach because they are not at the very top of their class. This is a misconception, as Ms. Vega attests.
 
"I’m no genius," she said. "I’m an average Joe who works hard."
 
High school students in the 3-1-3 program are accepted in SUNY Fredonia on the same basis as any other freshman applicant. According to the SUNY Fredonia Office of Admissions website, "it is reasonable to apply…if you have obtained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 80 percent and SAT scores of 1000 or an ACT score of 21." The mean admission scores for the Class of 2007 were a cumulative grade-point average of 88.3 percent, an SAT I score of 1116 and an ACT Composite performance of 24.3.
 
"It’s not a cookie-cutter program," said Ms. Smith, who works closely with guidance counselors throughout the seven participating school districts in order to cultivate and expedite the 3-1-3 process for high school students. "We try to tailor the program for each student in order to get the most out of it for everyone involved."
 
Young people in the 3-1-3 program are generally successful academically in their SUNY Fredonia coursework. Over half of 3-1-3 students make their way to the Dean’s List, and approximately 25 to 30 remain at SUNY Fredonia after earning their high school diploma.
 
"The program produces pretty positive results," said Ms. Smith. "It is a good way to sample the college experience while staying involved in high school life. A lot of our 3-1-3 students also participate fully in their high school lives – they play sports, they are involved in clubs, activities, musicals…they tend to be very active."
 
Ms. Vega has been asked to add her thoughts about the time she has spent at SUNY Fredonia during the informational meeting scheduled for February. Like many 17-year-olds, she is somewhat unnerved by the prospect of public speaking. At the same time, she is resolved to overcome her apprehension. "I can do it," she shrugged. It is this attitude that has her mother confident about her daughter’s future.
 
"I would like Alexis to be a well-rounded person," said Ms. Millan. "I would like her to enjoy her academic career. Her education will be with her for the rest of her life, and it will take her wherever she wants to go. Hopefully, a lot of opportunities will open up to her, and I think they will open up for her here at SUNY Fredonia."
 
For more information on the 3-1-3 program, please contact the nearest high school guidance counselor or call Ms. Smith at (716) 673-3550.