Mentors sought to Admission Possible kids
by Peter Bodley
Managing Editor
Admission Possible Twin Cities is launching a mentoring program at three of its high schools, including Coon Rapids High School.
The goal of the Admission Possible program is to make college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support.
This is the third year of the program at Coon Rapids High School, the second year for both juniors and seniors.
“We would like to recruit volunteers in the Coon Rapids area to start mentoring Admission Possible students this school year,” said Anna Rockne, communications coordinator, Admissions Possible Twin Cities.
Most of the mentoring takes place in groups and over e-mail, Rockne said.
And each mentor is assigned an Admission Possible staff member for assistance, she said.
A mentor must be at least 21 years of age, college-educated and live or work in the Twin Cities metro area.
The mentor will be required to send one weekly e-mail to the student on an interesting topic that is provided by Admission Possible and see the mentee once a month at an Admission Possible sponsored-event.
This year, the second for both seniors and juniors at Coon Rapids High School, there are 33 seniors in Kayte McGuire’s cohort and 36 juniors in Lauren Peffley’s cohort, Rockne said.
In the past decade, 98 percent of Admission Possible students have gained admission to college and juniors have raised their ACT test scores by 20 percent, according to the Admission Possible website.
In its high school program, Admission Possible coaches, serving as AmeriCorps members, guide students through all of the key aspects of preparing for college during after-school sessions for two hours twice a week.
Over the course of their junior and senior years, students complete 320 hours of curriculum in a supportive group of college-bound peers.
The core high school program junior year curriculum orients students to the college application process, provides extensive preparation for the ACT/SAT exam, introduces students to college life through campus tours and allows time for students to apply for summer enrichment opportunities.
The core high school program senior year curriculum leads students through the college application process, assists students in applying for financial aid and scholarships and guides students through the transition to college.
Besides the Twin Cities, Admission Possible also serves Milwaukee, Wis.
Admission Possible is a nonprofit organization founded in Minnesota in 2000 and dedicated to helping promising low-income high school students prepare for and earn admission to college by providing ACT/SAT test preparation, admissions and financial aid consulting and guidance in the transition to and through college.
Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com
