Selective College Matching for Low Income First Generation Students - PowerPoint Presentation

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Selective College Matching for Low Income First Generation Students

Gear Up Conference April 2016

Workshop ObjectivesUnderstand the rationale for launching a Selective College Match effortLearn the criteria used in selecting the most appropriate “college match” collegeExplore the components of YPIE’s Selective College Match program and how its effectiveness is being measured

Yonkers Partners in EducationWe believe that every student we work with has the right to earn a college degree and have the opportunity to forge a successful career and meaningful life

Nonprofit, community based organization established in 2008Private donor and grant fundedPrograms and services built on four strategic pillars: college awarenesscollege readinesscollege accesscollege persistence

Yonkers, NYFourth largest school district in New York State27,000 students31 Pre K-8 Schools; 8 high schools

Ethnicity54% Hispanic22% Black17% White7% AsianLow Income/First Generation75% free and reduced lunch; 90% free and reduced in high schoolsAcademically Underprepared14% college and career ready as defined by NY State

Meet Josh – Class of 2015, Gorton High School

Why a Selective College Match Initiative?Students from households in the bottom income quartile make up just 3% of enrollment at the nation’s most competitive colleges. Students from the top economic quartile comprise 72%.Only 23% of high-achieving, low-income students apply to selective schools. Only at the most selective schools do high-achieving, lower-income students graduate at rates equal to students from higher income backgrounds. Graduation rates sharply decrease for lower-income, high-achieving students in less competitive schools.

Selective schools provide more financial aid, more resources, and increased retention supports.Ja2016 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Report

Many first generation, high-achieving students unaware of and not applying or attending the most selective colleges they qualify for.Student under matching diminishes college graduation rates and earning potentialYonkers students deserve the opportunity to graduate from the nation’s best schools with manageable or no debt.

 Why a Selective College Match Initiative?

Create a database of selective colleges appropriate for low-income, first generation studentsSupport students and families to navigate the application and enrollment process to top tier collegesIncrease Yonkers students’ applications/acceptances/completion at selective colleges

Goals

Where to Begin95 colleges and universities in 12 states within 400 miles of YonkersBased on USNWR Top 100 Lists and Other ResearchQuantitative ResearchMethod One CriteriaMethod Two Criteria

Qualitative ResearchCreating the YPIE Selective College Match database

METHOD ONE CRITERIA>97% freshman living on campus>91% freshman retention rate>11% Pell grant recipients>17% diversity<$29,000 ending student debt

METHOD TWO CRITERIA>80% graduation rates for underrepresented minorities <4% lower than graduation rates for non-minoritiesQuantitative Research

60 Selective Colleges Meeting Criteria15 colleges meet Method Two criteria

AmherstBarnardBatesBoston Coll.BowdoinBrandeisBrownBryn MawrClarkColbyColgateColumbiaConn. Coll.CornellDartmouthDickinsonGeorgetownHamiltonHarvardHaverfordHopkinsMiddleburyMITMt Holyoke PrincetonSkidmoreSwarthmoreTuftsUnionUPenn

UVirginia

Vassar

Wellesley

Wesleyan

Wm. & Mary

Williams

Yale

Boston Univ.

F & M

Hobart

RPI

Smith

St. Lawrence

Syracuse

UConn

Babson

Bentley

Binghamton

Bucknell

Emerson

Holy Cross

Lafayette

Loyola Maryland

Muhlenberg

NYU

UVermont

Villanova

Wash & Lee

Wheaton (MA)

Worcester Poly

8 colleges meet Method One criteria

37 colleges meet both Method One and Two criteria

Admissions RepresentativesHead of AdmissionsWestchester RepresentativeDiversity RepresentativeDiversity/First Gen Recruitment/Orientation EventsSupport Services for First Gen Students

AcademicFinancialSocial/Emotional/OtherOther Notable Programs and ServicesQualitative Research

Program MetricsCollege Admissions (at Barron’s Tier 1-4 Colleges)# Applied#Accepted

# Attending (Intentions)College Enrollment and Persistence% Enrolled within 6 months of graduation% Graduating Within 6 years of enrollmentOtherRelationships with selective collegesDiversity Weekend VisitsCollege Rep Visits 

Program Rollout: Class of 20165-10 eligible first gen/low-income students per high school based on grades, test scores – including Roosevelt High SchoolCollege trips to Vassar and WesleyanStudent and Parent Meetings/List Development

Summer: SAT/ACT Prep and Essay Writing SupportLined Up Volunteer Support for Essays and Supplemental Essays in Fall Diversity Weekends – Applications (Colby, Vasssar, RPI, American)Financial Aid – FAFSA, CSS ProfilesSocial Emotional Support

Meet Briana

Meet Jamika

Thank You Volunteers!

Selective College Outcomes – Roosevelt High School

Acceptances for Five Students in the Class of 2016American UniversityNew York University

Barnard College

Oberlin

College

Bard

College

University

of Pittsburgh

Binghamton University

Pratt

Institute

Bryn

Mawr

College

University

of Rochester

Bowdoin College

Sarah Lawrence College

Colby

College

Skidmore College

Columbia University

Smith College

Emerson College

Vassar College

Fordham University

University

of Vermont

University of Michigan

Ivy League Trailblazershttp://nyti.ms/1E3Uzp0

Workshop FacilitatorsEllen Cutler Levy, ecutler@ypie.orgStephanie Russo, srusso@ypie.orgJessica

Striano, jstriano @ypie.orgYonkers Partners in Educationwww.ypie.org914-377-4882