College Possible
| Founded | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jim McCorkell |
| Location |
|
Area served |
Minneapolis-Saint Paul |
| Method | Utilize AmeriCorps volunteers to provide low-income students with ACT preparation, admission and financial aid counseling, and guidance in the transition to and through college. |
Revenue | US $7.1 million |
Volunteers | approximately 130 Corps members |
| Website | http://www.CollegePossible.org |
College Possible (formerly "Admission Possible") is a nonprofit AmeriCorps organization whose mission is to make college admission and success possible for low-income students in the United States through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. Its model uses recent college graduates as near-peer mentors for students lacking the social resources to successfully enroll in and graduate from college.[1] Headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the organization currently serves students in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Omaha, Nebraska, Portland, Oregon and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
History
College Possible was chartered as a nonprofit in September 2000, beginning operations in two Twin Cities public high schools the next spring. By the 2008-09 school year, the organization was serving students in seventeen high school schools across Minneapolis-Saint Paul and launched a second site in Milwaukee.[2] In the current 2013-2014 school year, College Possible serves 15,000 students at forty-two partner high schools in Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon and Wisconsin and nearly 300 colleges and universities across the country. In the spring of 2014, College Possible launched a fifth site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Programming
A New York Times article from November 2005 quotes CEO Jim McCorkell as saying: "My starting idea was what if we replicated Kaplan for poor kids."[3] To be eligible for College Possible's free services, students must come from low-income families and have a GPA of 2.0 or higher.[4] High school students accepted into the program participate in after-school sessions over their junior and senior years, with time divided between test preparation, college applications, financial aid applications and preparing to transition to college.[5] The program also has a service component, including an annual service event on Make a Difference Day.[6]
College students receive guidance in finding and accessing campus resources, renewing the FAFSA, locating internships, maintaining a healthy balance between homework and social obligations, as well as when transferring schools.[7]
Evaluation
College Possible is a 501(c)3 organization that has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for financial management and a three-star rating for accountability and transparency.[8]
A 2011 Harvard study determined that Admission Possible more than doubles the chances a low-income student will enroll in a four-year institution.[9] A later
A 2013 Harvard study found College Possible to have a significant positive impact on four-year college enrollment, though it had no statistically significant effect on ACT scores.[10]
Wilder Research, an arm of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, performed an evaluation of Admission Possible in 2006, substantiating its claim that 91% of the organization's students enrolled in college, and that it compared favorably to similar programs.[11]
The Charities Review Council deems that it "meets all standards".[12]
Recognition
McCorkell was named an Ashoka Fellow, a recognition for social entrepreneurship, in 2006.[13] The organization has been recognized with awards from the Financial Times and Citi,[14] the National Association for College Admission Counseling,[15] College Board,[16] and the National College Access Network.[17]
In June 2009, President Barack Obama mentioned the organization in a speech on social entrepreneurship saying: "Admission Possible operates in just two states now. So imagine if it were 10 or 20 or 50."[18]
In February 2014, College Possible was invited to be part of a White House summit on college opportunity.[19]
References
- ↑
- ↑ Admission Possible history, accessed 10.28.10
- ↑ Test Prep Help for Those Too Poor to Afford Kaplan, New York Times, November 16, 2005, accessed 10.28.10
- ↑ A stairway to higher education, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, April 7, 2009, accessed 11.02.10
- ↑ Admission Possible shows the way for college aspirants, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, May 24, 2010, accessed 11.02.10
- ↑ Students scare up 10,000 pound donation for foodshelf, InsightNews.com, Minneapolis, November 5, 2009, accessed 11.02.10
- ↑
- ↑ http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=11838
- ↑ "Comparative Historical Analysis Admission Possible 2007-2009 Harvard Kennedy School June 2011"
- ↑ http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/29/study-tracks-impact-counseling-low-income-students#sthash.UvPYCYmZ.dpbs
- ↑ Admission Possible evaluation results, Laura McLain (2006), Wilder Research
- ↑ Admission Possible profile on Charities Review Council website
- ↑ Jim McCorkell’s profile on the Ashoka website
- ↑ Award announcement from the Financial Times
- ↑ A list of Human Relations Award recipients on the NACAC website, retrieved 10.26.2010
- ↑ 2010 Innovation Award Winners on the College Board website, retrieved 10.26.2010
- ↑ NCAN Announces 2009 College Access Awards of Excellence, NCAN news release, 09.30.2010
- ↑ AmeriCorps and a Nod from Obama Give College-Access Group a Lift, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, October 15, 2009, accessed 11.02.10
- ↑ http://www.collegepossible.org/news/from-white-house-summit-college-possible-announces-philadelphia-launch/