Nonprofit Minnesota Organization Helps Make Bright Futures Possible for Low-Income Students—with ACT Help

He began to put his ideas for Admission Possible into motion in 1999 after graduating from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Working for City Year, a national nonprofit public service and youth development organization headquartered in Boston, gave him the experience and knowledge he needed to launch Admission Possible. In 2000, he returned to Minnesota and began laying the groundwork: choosing a name and logo for the organization, recruiting a board of directors, creating a business plan and website, and raising funds—all while working out of a spare room in his apartment.

In 2001, he rented office space in St. Paul and initiated a pilot program involving 35 high school students. The program has since grown to nearly 1,000 students each year. Ninety-four percent of participants are students of color. Many are from immigrant families.

The goal is to serve 1,300 students by 2008–09, pending available funding. Admission Possible is mostly privately funded through area corporations, foundations, and individuals, said McCorkell. AmeriCorps also provides about 25 percent of the organization’s revenue.

The organization has been remarkably successful: on average, 98 percent of Admission Possible students are admitted to college. Most enroll, and 85 percent persist and earn a degree. Students receive help with the college application process, essays, and financial aid/scholarship applications. They also participate in a 15-week ACT prep course. ACT contributed nearly $12,000 in waived test administration fees for Admission Possible students in 2006.

Coaches Empower Organization

Students receive plenty of guidance from their “coaches”—44 AmeriCorps and two AmeriCorps*VISTA members on Admission Possible’s staff. AmeriCorps members work directly with students, and VISTA members help build organizational capacity through fundraising and communications. In addition, the organization employs 11 leadership team members and six Macalester College work-study students. A third of the staff are people of color and many were the first in their own families to go to college.

McCorkell attributes much of the program’s success to the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA members.

“They are the power behind the organization,” he said.“Having fresh-out-of-college graduates deliver our services sets us apart from other organizations. We hire the brightest and most idealistic graduates. For them, there are no bounds to what is possible. They are open-minded and optimistic. We train them and then set them loose. They bring a ton of energy to the organization. These are people who really want to make a difference in the world of college admissions.”

AmeriCorps workers receive a yearly stipend of $10,900, plus health insurance. They work full time, which amounts to 1,700 hours in 10 months. They are also eligible for an educational award of $4,700, which they can use toward their student loans or graduate school.

They work very hard for their pay, said McCorkell. They are held accountable for their results, receiving regular updates on the students for whom they are responsible. They know the numbers of juniors and seniors who have applied to college, those who have completed the FAFSA, the amount of scholarship money each has earned, and so on.

The goal—100 percent of students in the program admitted to college—requires a strong commitment. “Our goal isn’t that we’ll try to get them all into college, but that we will get them all into college. Getting good results is what matters most to us. One of the core values we teach our staff is, ‘You must do whatever it takes to support our students,’” said McCorkell.

Jobs with the organization are in demand, and there are hundreds of applications received for every opening. Admission Possible is listed in the 2008 edition of The Princeton Review’s America’s Best Entry-Level Jobs, a guidebook that reveals the most sought-after first-job opportunities at 100 premier for-profit and nonprofit companies. Other states have used Admission Possible as a model to develop similar programs, such as College Forward in Austin, Texas.

Simple Approach Works

Admission Possible’s approach is simple—provide help with the ACT and the admissions process to students who otherwise would not go to college.

Here’s how it works:

• Students apply to the program in their sophomore year. They must have a minimum GPA of 2.5, a solid school attendance record, passing scores on the Minnesota Basic Standards tests, and be considered low income. The organization also seeks students who have both the motivation and the potential for college.
• During their junior year, students work with their coaches to learn more about the college admissions process, take practice exams, brainstorm essay ideas, and prepare for and take college entrance exams.
• In the summer between their junior and senior year, many students participate in summer enrichment and jobs programs in the Twin Cities. McCorkell noted that these opportunities offer students experience in a potential career.
• As seniors, the students and coaches focus on college searches, applications, and essays. They also complete applications for financial aid and scholarships. (Students receive an average of $5,000 in private sector scholarships.)
• Participants are required to perform at least eight hours of community service annually, though some volunteer much more time. Students have done traditional community service, such as planting trees and working with elementary school students. In addition, seniors often lead college readiness workshops for ninth graders and tenth graders in their own high schools.

“It’s our goal to help low-income kids who have a lot of potential to overcome the impossible,” said McCorkell. “We know it can be done.”