COLLEGE BOUND INC

COLLEGE BOUND ACCOMPLISHES ITS MISSION BY PROVIDING SUSTAINED TUTORING, MENTORING, AND COLLEGE PREPARATORY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES TO OVER 200 STUDENTS IN ITS WEEKLY ACADEMIC MENTORING PROGRAM AND AN ADDITIONAL 250 STUDENTS THROUGH ITS OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. COLLEGE BOUND HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS IN TERMS OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND ENTRANCE TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.COLLEGE BOUND'S MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO SUPPORTING STUDENTS HAS BEEN HELPING PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS MAKE COLLEGE A REALITY SINCE 1991. ITS ACADEMIC MENTORING PROGRAM MATCHES OVER 200 STUDENTS IN 8TH- 12TH GRADE WITH COLLEGE-EDUCATED PROFESSIONALS WHO BECOME THEIR ACADEMIC MENTORS. PAIRS MEET ONCE A WEEK FOR TWO HOURS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AT ONE OF EIGHT COMMUNITY-BASED SITES. MENTOR-STUDENT PAIRS ALSO PARTICIPATE IN MONTHLY ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF THE SITE TO REINFORCE AND STRENGTHEN THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP. THROUGH WRITING WORKSHOPS, WRITING COACHES HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP THE WRITING SKILLS NEEDED NOT ONLY FOR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND FINANCIAL SCHOLARSHIPS BUT TO COMMUNICATE MORE EFFECTIVELY. WEEKLY JOURNALING IS ALSO AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE AGENDA FOR STUDENTS AND MENTORS AT THE PROGRAM SITES. SAT PREPARATION IS OFFERED TWICE A YEAR AND PROVIDES PARTICIPANTS WITH ACCESS TO A LOW-COST 10-WEEK TEST PREPARATION COURSE TAUGHT BY INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. AFTER COMPLETING THE SAT CLASS, STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN ONE-ON-ONE SAT TUTORING IN THE NEXT SEMESTER, WHICH IS TAILORED TO ADDRESS THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, RESULTING IN AVERAGE INCREASES OF 200-400 POINTS ON THE SAT. TWO COLLEGE TOURS, A COLLEGE FAIR, AND A CAREER NIGHT/EXPLORATION EVENT ARE OFFERED TO EXPAND STUDENTS' AWARENESS OF THE VALUE OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION. THE FALL TOUR IS A ONE-DAY VISIT TO TWO TO THREE SCHOOLS WITHIN A SPECIFIED REGIONAL RADIUS, WHILE THE FOUR-DAY SPRING TOUR TAKES PLACE OVER SPRING BREAK, WITH VISITS TO EIGHT TO TEN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THE COLLEGE FAIR, WHICH TAKES PLACE IN THE FALL, IS DEVELOPED BY STUDENTS, PARENTS, VOLUNTEERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND HOSTED BY OUR PARTNERS WHO ATTEND, REPRESENTING THEIR ALMA MATERS. SEVERAL UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVES OFFER ON-SITE ADMISSIONS OR FEE WAIVERS TO SENIORS. CAREER NIGHT, OUR ANNUAL CAREER FAIR, IS HOSTED BY THE UNIVERSITY CLUB FOR 10TH- TO 12TH-GRADE STUDENTS, WHERE THEY PARTICIPATE IN ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS ON CAREER GOALS AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION. DUE TO OUR GROWTH, WE OFFER SEPARATE CAREER EXPLORATION PROGRAMS FOR 8TH AND 9TH GRADERS TO EXPOSE THEM TO A WIDE RANGE OF CAREER PATHS.BOTH EVENTS FEATURE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS WHO HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN THEIR CHOSEN CAREER PATHS. TO ADDRESS STUDENTS' INTEREST AND THE NEED TO INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS OF STEM OPTIONS, COLLEGE BOUND OFFERS REMEDIATION AND ENRICHMENT TWICE WEEKLY THROUGH ITS "STEM IN YOUR HOOD" PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, STEM PROFESSIONALS MEET WITH STUDENTS MONTHLY DURING "MEDITECH TUESDAYS" TO PROVIDE INSIGHT ON CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN STEM. WE OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS TO ASSIST OUR STUDENTS WITH FUNDING THEIR EDUCATION, TOTALING MORE THAN $260,000 FOR THE CLASS OF 2025. SCHOLARSHIPS RANGE FROM $500 TO $20,000. FINALLY, OUR VIRTUAL MENTORING PROGRAM (VMP) OFFERS ALUMNI ACCESS TO SERVICES THAT STUDENTS NEED TO SUCCEED AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGH COLLEGE. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A "SAFETY NET" TO HELP THEM SUCCEED IN THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES COLLEGE COACHING, COLLEGE TRANSITION SUPPORT, PEER MENTORING, SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION, AND INTERNSHIPS. EACH FRESHMAN RECEIVES AT LEAST ONE CAMPUS VISIT, AND MORE IF NEEDED. THESE SUPPORTS HELP INCREASE COLLEGE RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES FOR STUDENTS, ENSURING THEIR SUCCESS. STUDENTS ALSO RETURN TO THE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM WHEN THEY ARE BACK HOME TO SHARE THEIR COLLEGE EXPERIENCES WITH CURRENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS DURING "ALUMNI WEEK". WE ALSO OFFER WORKSHOPS AND NETWORKING EVENTS FOR VMP PARTICIPANTS DURING THE WINTER AND SUMMER BREAKS. OUR COLLEGE GRADUATION RATES (4-YEAR: 60%; 6-YEAR: 77%) EXCEED THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR ALL STUDENTS AND ARE MORE THAN DOUBLE THOSE FOR THE DEMOGRAPHIC WE SERVE.