Tripling Our Impact: College Access Programming Now in Six Buffalo Schools
College Access & Success
Student Leadership Network’s college access programs are a critical first step towards closing what is commonly referred to as the “degree divide” but the work does not end there. Our college success programs address additional roadblocks on the road through college to ensure our students have the support and resources to succeed in college and go on to lead successful lives. Every year our work towards educational equity impacts over 15,000 students.
Core Pillars
College Matters
At Student Leadership Network, we know college matters as a critical lever to multigenerational prosperity. We know how to get students to their best-fit college and prepare them to succeed there. Our programs create a college-going culture in under-resourced high schools and put students on a path to college. We help students gain access to and succeed in college by focusing on four core areas:
Early College Awareness
Access to our CollegeBound Initiative directors of college counseling as early as 6th or 9th grade.
Family Engagement
Educating and connecting with parents to build a strong support network for our students.
Financial Literacy
Comprehensive financial aid counseling and planning with students and their families.
Experiential Learning
Opportunities to participate in pre-college trips, summer programs, and scholarships to familiarize students with college life.
CollegeBound Initiative
CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) empowers young women and men to realize their higher education and career potential by placing full-time directors of college counseling (DCCs) in high-need public schools. CBI’s DCCs maximize students’ college awareness, access, and financial aid awards. CBI students graduating from our partner high schools achieve four-year college degrees at approximately four times the rate of their national peers.
We combine intimate knowledge of our students and trusted connections with a diverse network of colleges, enabling us to optimize college placement and maximize financial aid. Our comprehensive approach creates a culture of success in each of our partner high schools. And the results are clear – we have decades of demonstrated success in increasing the college enrollment and attainment rate for students from underserved communities.
For CBI students, the question is not if but where they will go to college.
CBI combats college attrition by accessing, and partnering our graduates with, support programs at various colleges (e.g., NYS Opportunity Programs, CUNY ASAP, Bottom Line, Posse Scholars, etc.). The financial aid, structure, and support that these programs offer ensures our students have a smooth transition to and through college.
Program Details
Early College and Career Awareness Activities
- coordinate college trips and fairs
- college awareness lessons and workshops
- connect students to alumni enrolled in college
Complete College Application Support
- assist students with registering/preparing for the PSAT and SAT exams
- one-on-one assistance with college selection
- help students hone their interview skills
- assist seniors in writing essays, recommendation letters, and resumes
- offer parent education and outreach
Enrollment and Financial Aid Support
- comprehensive financial aid counseling
- FAFSA application support
- one-on-one meetings with families
Experiential Learning Opportunities
- Overnight trips to partner colleges
- CollegeBound Summer Institute at Gettysburg College
- Pre-college summer programs and scholarships
Alumni Support
- Connect current students to college-enrolled alumni
- Support graduates during summer months to support their transition to college
- Work closely with several partner colleges (e.g., Gettysburg College and University of Rochester) to increase students’ preparation for, access to, and enrollment in a college that supports their success
Bridge Through College
Bridge Through College (BTC) supports our students to persist through college and ultimately graduate. The program leverages Student Leadership Network alumni to support first-year college students as peer leaders. Research shows that near-peer models have been incredibly effective at increasing graduation rates, as well as contributing positively to many other benefits, such as creating important social networks and increasing students’ sense of belonging.
Additionally, BTC peer leaders will provide support around critical milestones. All SL Network alumni will have access to tools and resources developed around three core program areas – financial aid renewal, financial planning, and academic planning – via a robust and interactive alumni portal.
Program Details
Student Leadership Network alumni who are college juniors and seniors support first-year college students around critical milestones that have a huge impact on who graduates from college. These include:
- 1:1 advisory and group engagement to set first-year students up for success with consistent check-ins covering everything from financial standing to connecting with professors
- Financial Aid renewal to ensure continuity of financial aid packages year over year
- Financial planning for additional expenses, college bills & debt management
- Guidance around class selection, registration, and successful completion
CollegeBound Resources
As we work toward educational equity, we know a large number of high school students still don’t have access to the support of a dedicated college counselor or resources to help guide them on the path to college. From deciding which college(s) to apply to, to enrolling at college, we want to make sure students across the country can navigate this often complex process. We’ve put together resources to help guide high school seniors through some of the components of a successful college application process. Good luck – we know you can do it!
Program Details
Applying to College
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Researching a Good Fit Ready to kickoff your journey to college? You’ll need to do research on colleges and universities to determine which schools are a good fit for you. Don’t forget to consider tuition costs! We’ve got you covered with a number of online resources to get your college list in top shape.
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Application Checklists Once you’ve picked the colleges/universities you will be applying to, it’s time to tackle the applications. If you’ve set your sights on a CUNY, SUNY, or schools that accept the Common App, we’ve put together handy checklists to help keep you organized and on-track.
HOT TIP: create a “Login Tracker” document to record all your new application portals’ login credentials (usernames and passwords)!
Download CUNY Application Checklist
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Letter of Recommendation Colleges often ask applicants for letters of recommendation as part of your application; they provide admission staff with an outside perspective of your accomplishments and growth. Follow these steps to make the process as smooth as possible:
- Research each college/university’s letter of recommendation requirements.
- Figure out who is best suited to speak about your interests and abilities.
- Include a “brag sheet” when you make your request for a letter of recommendation.
- Make sure you list your recommenders on your application and you’ve made the appropriate FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) selection.
Watch the video below for more!
Download Letter of Recommendation Request Email Template
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Personal Statement A personal statement is an important part of your college application that adds an individual touch. It goes far beyond your standardized test scores and grades to give a full picture of who you are and why you’d be a great addition to any college/university. We’ve partnered with Story2 to bring you their StoryBuilder platform, providing step-by-step guidance for communicating your unique stories.
Watch the video below for more!
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Virtual Interview Many colleges and universities encourage students to participate in admissions interviews – even during a pandemic! While the format may be different this year, the benefits are the same. College interviews can help you build personal relationships with admissions staff, show off your strengths and skills, and get a better sense of whether a school is a good fit.
Watch the video below for more!
in partnership with
Applying for Financial Aid
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Get to Know the FAFSA Great job submitting your college applications! Up next on your path to college is figuring out how you’ll pay for school. Your first step will be submitting your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Once you check this off your list, you’ll be able to qualify for federal grants, work-study, student loans, and even receive aid from your college and/or state. We’ve looked into five common FAFSA myths to help you separate fact from fiction before you get started.
Watch the video below for more!
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Financial Aid Tools Now that you’re more familiar with the FAFSA, it’s time to get your financial aid application process underway. We’ve partnered with uAspire to bring you tools and resources to help you along the way like checklists, timelines, videos, and uAspire’s College Cost Calculator!
- FAFSA tips video
- FAFSA IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) video
- Steps to take after the FAFSA
- And more!
Download Financial Aid Checklist
A guide through the financial aid process from start to finish, including a timeline.
When you receive your financial aid offers from colleges, use this tool to compare the total costs of attending different colleges.
Choosing a College
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Getting Ready for College Decisions Now that you’ve submitted your college and financial aid applications, it’s time to prepare to make your college decision. Even though there’s a lot of waiting at this stage as colleges send out their acceptances, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be proactive. During this time you can check your application statuses to make sure all the required documents and files have been submitted and received. Once you start to hear back from schools you’ll need to gather your admissions decisions, and eventually choose a college! We’ve put together some tips to help you cross the finish line to college enrollment.
Watch the video below for more!
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Enrolling in College Once your college admissions decisions come in, you’ll review the offer and financial aid package information for each school. Once you’ve picked the option that works best for you, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking all the right steps to enroll at the college of your choice. These checklists will help you cross the t’s and dot the i’s to get you from accepted to enrolled!
Download Private College Enrollment Checklist
Download CUNY Enrollment Checklist
Download SUNY Enrollment Checklist
Congratulations on making it through the college application process, and best of luck on this next exciting step on your higher education journey!!
Expanding College Access Program to Buffalo School District
We are supporting the 34,000 students served by Buffalo Public School District in making their dreams of going to college a reality through a series of college access services.