Gateway: The First Step To Success
​
You may be asking yourself what is a gateway? At Metro, a gateway is a presentation you give to a panel that must ensure you are ready to join a pathway. Now, this presentation is only given when you have met a set of academic requirements. In order to succeed during your gateway presentation, you must take time to prepare and give extensive details as to why you are ready to join a pathway. This process can be very time consuming as you are reflecting on all of your past achievements both in and out of the classroom. The gateway is a huge achievement and is something that you should be proud of completing. Many believe that the gateway is the first step to success since it is a bridge to college coursework.
​
To ensure you will be successful when presenting your gateway there is a list of requirements you must meet in your presentation. The exact document including all of the requirements is attached below. This document should be used as an outline for your presentation. Creating a checklist with all the gateway requirements will ensure you don’t forget anything of importance. Your panel is a key part of the gateway process as they will be the ones deciding whether or not you are ready for college coursework. Your panel must consist of a parent, advisor, current first-year student, Metro teacher/staff member, student advocate, and an important adult in your life outside of Metro. It is key to list out who you think might be good options for each position of the panel early since they will all meet at the same time. Also, the student advocate will have to prepare a 2-3 minute speech on the student’s behalf, advocating the transition to college coursework.
Another very important thing to do when first beginning your gateway is to create a timeline. Making a timeline with dates on when you hope to complete every benchmark is key to success. On the bottom of the gateway protocol document there is a very simplistic timeline however, the more you add to it the better.
There are multiple different ways you can make your gateway whether it be through Wix, google sites, or google presentations all three are great options. There is an example of a gateway using google sites and presentations below. I would suggest going with the option you are most comfortable using since you are going to include lots of information. Throughout your gateway, you must include all of the classes you have taken up to this point. As the first requirement to ensure you are ready for college coursework is to complete at least 16 high school classes along with advisory. During your gateway, you must also show how you have used the Metro Habits throughout your classes and in your daily life.
One of the last key parts during the gateway is the analogy which shows your growth as a student at Metro. All of the individual pieces on the protocol documents are important for success on the gateway. In order to be successful while presenting your gateway, it is extremely important to practice everything you are going to say beforehand. After completing this bridge to college coursework you should celebrate as you have a big journey ahead.
Overall, the gateway is a reflection of all your past work and is the first step to beginning your journey through Metro pathways. If you meet all the needed requirements and exceed the panel’s expectations you'll be sure to succeed.
Useful Gateway Links
​
Example Metro Gateway Google Sites
Example Metro Gateway Google Presentation
​
​
​
​
Written by: Nicolas Loudner
​
