Online game from ASU pairs high schoolers with majors

Arizona State University has developed a new way for high school students to prepare for college — by playing an online game.

The game comes courtesy of me3, an app and online experience that pairs users with college majors and insight on how to get into college.

The me3 experiences starts with a quick game. The app shows pairs of images — a movie set and a microbiology lab, stocks charts and an operating room, etc. — and asks the student to select the one in each set that most appeals to his or her interests. Once the game is over, the me3 program recommends several career paths for the student and the most applicable college majors.

It’s a unique way to get teenagers thinking about their futures, but me3 also charts an academic pathway toward a college education by recommending high school classes to take in preparation, tracking academic progress and ensuring a student knows what requirements are needed for admission into college.

After playing the game at ASU Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, Frankie Quiñones got a recommendation for a career in engineering. The high school junior credits me3 with changing how he approaches his preparation for college and an eventual career.

“It made me think of different ways to get to college,” Quiñones said. 

The me3 program aims to broaden the number of college-ready students by helping more high school students prepare for college academically. This is especially important for students who would be the first in their family to attend college.

“me3 provides students with insight about themselves that links them to career choices they might not consider otherwise,” said Jennifer Anderson, the department chair of student advising at Westwood High School in Mesa. “me3 is an immense tool for post-secondary readiness.”

By engaging students in a discussion about college early in their high school careers, me3 ensures they are taking the right courses and ready for college. It guides students to classes that comply with the minimum requirements for college admission as specified by the Arizona Board of Regents, making it an important tool to expand access to higher education in Arizona.

Frederick C. Corey, vice provost for undergraduate education at ASU, explains that expanding access to higher education is imperative for Arizona’s economic health.

“Education is a community responsibility, and we need to help all members of our community make informed decisions,” Corey said. “Students entering the ninth grade make critical decisions about their futures, but they don’t always understand the impact of their decisions. ‘Which math class is best for me, what science classes will best suit my goals?’ These are important questions.”

The me3 program was created with support from the Lodestar Foundation, a Phoenix-based philanthropic organization that issues grants to nonprofits that encourage philanthropy, public service, volunteerism and collaboration among charitable programs working in the same or complementary areas. With the support of Lodestar, me3 will become a collaborative project inclusive of all public, tribal and nonprofit postsecondary schools in Arizona, showing students their options for degree attainment.

The program is in its first phase. As the tool unfolds it will be used to integrate academic, career and financial planning and to promote academic mind-sets that build confidence and support informed decisions among students who do not always have the information they need to be successful.

The official rollout of me3 will be Sept. 8 at ASU’s SkySong Innovation Center with ASU President Michael Crow. The event will also feature a live demonstration of the tool. To register to attend the rollout event, click on this link.

The me3 software works across all platforms and can be accessed from a desktop computer or mobile device at https://www.asu.edu/me3.