Free Private College Tuition and Support? Tell Me More!
The Class of 2025’s journey to college formally launched last spring, when Student Leadership Network juniors began to explore their options and meet college representatives. In response to concerns about college affordability, our CollegeBound Initiative team hosted the first-ever New York Posse Partnership Roundtable for students to explore the Posse Foundation’s scholarship program. Alexa Laboy and Angelique Figueroa, the directors of college counseling at Central Park East High School and The Young Women’s Leadership School of Manhattan, arranged for students to have small group discussions with college reps who will potentially review their Posse applications this fall. Students were able to ask about a range of topics, from technical aspects of the application to life on campus as a Posse scholar.
Benefits of Becoming a Posse Scholar
The Posse program makes college options possible for families who might not otherwise consider private colleges or be able to afford to attend an out-of-state school. Unique to the Posse program model is the cohort-style structure, which brings accepted students together to build relationships before college. Once enrolled in college, they’ll have a constant source of support and guidance throughout the next four years with weekly faculty mentoring and leadership retreats to support their success.
How to Apply to the Posse Program
Our directors of college counseling, other school staff, and community-based organizations nominate students for the program. Eligible students are then invited to apply and complete an extensive interview process. If selected, the students are matched in December to partner colleges and universities with full-tuition scholarships! They will meet their cohort of fellow accepted students who are matched to the same college, and begin to build relationships to guide each other to success. We are grateful to the six colleges that joined us to talk about their schools’ Posse programs with our juniors!
- Babson College
- Franklin & Marshall College
- Lafayette College
- Smith College
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Vanderbilt University
Explore More: Congratulations to our 2024 QuestBridge and Posse Scholars
See where our recent high school graduates are attending college this fall as Posse and QuestBridge Scholars!
