Thanks to LEDA, I found a community of talented peers with whom I learned the importance of challenging the status quo and challenging myself.

Transcription

1 Thanks to LEDA, I found a community of talented peers with whom I learned the importance of challenging the status quo and challenging myself. Shelby, Brownsville, TX, LEDA Cohort 4 STANFORD UNIVERSITY Class of 2013 LEDA expanded my worldview by helping me recognize my potential to attend a prestigious university and contribute to my community. LEDA gave me a college experience. John, Columbia, SC, LEDA Cohort 7 PRINCETON UNIVERSITY Class of 2016

2 LEADERSHIP ENTERPRISE FOR A DIVERSE AMERICA (LEDA) is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to identifying and developing the academic and leadership potential of exceptional public high school students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. These students are currently underrepresented in our nation s top colleges, universities, and ultimately, leadership sectors. LEDA believes that highly competitive colleges and universities are a nexus for the development of leadership. These institutions require an infusion of diversity to improve the mix of ideas and information impacting leaders of public and private organizations across the nation. By helping socio-economically disadvantaged students gain admission to selective academic institutions, LEDA seeks to equalize educational opportunity. LEDA recognizes that we are better off as a nation and as a people if we offer equal opportunities to all, regardless of socio-economic status, by drawing upon the leadership potential of all our most talented citizens. ABOUT OUR SCHOLARS... LEDA Scholars come from 40 States and the District of Columbia. 64% of LEDA Scholars are/will be first-generation college students. LEDA Scholars have an average household income of less than $36,000 per year. 30% of LEDA Scholars have enrolled in Ivy League institutions. 76% of LEDA Scholars have enrolled in Ivy League and Most Competitive colleges and universities as categorized by Barron s Profiles of American Colleges. LEDA Scholars have an average college GPA of 3.3. Native American 3% Black 30% 30% White 10% 11% 2% 14% 7% Asian/Pacific- Islander 14% 35% Latino/ Hispanic 35% Bi-/Multi- Racial 8% 95% of LEDA Scholars graduate from college within six years, compared to the national six-year graduation rate of 55% for students from low-income backgrounds.

3 RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSION The LEDA Scholars Program specializes in identifying outstanding students who may otherwise remain unrecognized by passive college recruitment efforts. Each year, LEDA searches the nation to recruit approximately 60 exceptional students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds to become LEDA Scholars. LEDA s recruitment strategy involves: Identifying high schools in low-income communities that make advanced coursework available to their students Traveling to schools in rural and urban communities to make presentations to students, guidance counselors, and community partners Cooperating with guidance counselors, teachers, and other school personnel to find excellent students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds who attend targeted high schools Developing partnerships with nonprofit organizations whose missions align with LEDA s Forming ongoing relationships with school district personnel in targeted communities Utilizing our current Scholars to recruit applicants from their high school alma maters Successful applicants to the program must complete a rigorous, multi-tiered application process. LEDA s application process provides students with a preview of the admission process for selective colleges and universities.

4 ADMISSION CRITERIA SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND LEDA Scholars have an average household income of less than $36,000. The majority of Scholars have an average household income of less than $55,000. Students who will be first generation college students (i.e., the first in their immediate families to graduate from a four-year college or university) are given particular consideration. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Demonstrated leadership abilities Intellectual curiosity and devotion to study Hunger to learn constantly and achieve academically Strength of character, ethics, and integrity ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS A record of consistently enrolling and excelling in the most rigorous courses available at his or her high school. These courses may include: Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs; honors, gifted and talented, and/or advanced designations; or dual-credit or concurrent enrollment courses offered through an institution of higher education A cumulative GPA and class ranking within the top 10% of his or her class Very strong analytical, reading, and writing skills demonstrating readiness for the level of work expected at the nation s most selective colleges and universities Above national average standardized test scores for any of the following exams: PSAT, SAT, PLAN, ACT

5 THE ASPECTS OF LEADERSHIP SUMMER INSTITUTE LEDA Scholars spend the summer following their junior years of high school immersed in the Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute, housed on the campus of Princeton University. This intensive seven-week program is completely free of charge for LEDA Scholars and includes leadership study, writing instruction, standardized test preparation, and college advising. THE ASPECTS OF LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM concentrates on the development of ethical and effective leadership through an exploration of some of the toughest ethical and policy issues facing the world in the 21st century. The curriculum engages students by employing state-of-the-art educational methodologies that are highly efficient, effective, and fun, including interactive technologies, progressive group discussion techniques, engaging role-plays, student debates, and critical thinking games. These diverse methods employ a variety of learning modalities. In this complex and engaging course, Scholars examine the content of important issues while developing critical thinking skills vital to their academic and personal development. WRITING INSTRUCTION: LEDA s Writing Instructors work with LEDA Scholars throughout the summer in both regular class sessions and individual weekly meetings. All of LEDA s Writing Instructors are current or former composition instructors at selective colleges or universities, and they teach to the standard expected at those institutions. The curriculum emphasizes a range of composition skills, particularly academic argument, clarity of style and structure, inquiry-based research, and revision. As a result, LEDA Scholars are taught to write at the level expected by top-tier colleges and universities, and are prepared for the admission process that will bring them to these institutions. STANDARDIZED TEST PREPARATION is provided by Advantage Testing, a leading tutoring company based in New York. Students prepare for the SAT and ACT in classes and through practice tests, and are provided with preparation materials. COMMUNITY BUILDING AND RESIDENTIAL LIFE: For the seven weeks of the Summer Institute, students live in a Princeton University dormitory and experience a supervised version of residential life at the college level. This residential experience promotes a sense of personal responsibility and encourages a strong sense of community among our Scholars. It also fosters the intense intellectual experience of the academic curriculum. COLLEGE GUIDANCE: LEDA s college guidance work begins while Scholars are attending the Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute and continues as students return to their hometowns to complete their senior years of high school and apply to college.

6 COLLEGE GUIDANCE LEDA believes that college is a match to be made and not a prize to be won. To this end, LEDA prioritizes getting to know our Scholars well in order to help them know themselves. Through this process, Scholars become empowered to take responsibility for themselves and their future educational experiences in order to best cultivate their leadership skills. During the summer, the Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute helps to prepare students for the academic rigors of college education. The experience of living at Princeton University as they begin their college admission journeys also gives Scholars a sense of what living at a top college will be like. DURING THE INSTITUTE: Scholars attend a series of college admission workshops that focus on researching colleges, the college admission process, the financial aid process, and scholarships. Scholars engage in one-on-one meetings with LEDA s Director of College Guidance in order to explore their respective interests and strengths, and to identify their top college choices. Scholars have the opportunity to research college options and to discuss their academic and extra-curricular backgrounds in order to help determine which colleges might offer the best fit for each individual student. Scholars take trips to visit several neighboring colleges and universities throughout the summer. They participate in college tours, attend information sessions with admission representatives, and speak with matriculating students. Scholars also have the opportunity to attend college fairs, which allow them to learn about more than 100 colleges and universities. While attending the Summer Institute, students are supported by the LEDA staff and faculty, most of whom currently attend college as either graduate or undergraduate students or are instructors or professors at a number of top-tier colleges and universities. The staff and faculty serve as resources to provide further insight and support throughout the college guidance journey. DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR: LEDA continues to work with Scholars through each phase of the college admission process, including: Conducting regular conversations with the Director of College Guidance in order to finalize college choices Providing assistance with navigating the financial aid process and identifying scholarship opportunities Offering ongoing consultation with the Writing Instructors to prepare personal statements and supplemental essays Providing individualized letters of recommendation written by LEDA staff Offering guidance to evaluate college options and financial aid offers once students receive their acceptance letters

7 Four cohorts of LEDA Scholars have graduated from college and are pursuing exciting careers and graduate study, including: Ariel from Fairfield, CA; Spelman College 10: J.D. Candidate at Harvard Law School Jose from Brownsville, TX; Harvard University 11: Math teacher at Los Fresnos High School David from Eugene, OR; Carnegie Mellon University 11: R&D Engineer, Chip Ganassi SCHOLAR SUPPORT LEDA supports Scholars while they are attending college by providing ongoing resources and guidance. LEDA helps students navigate the transition from high school to college, and assists them throughout their college careers to become exemplary students and campus leaders. LEDA staff members ensure that Scholars take full advantage of campus resources by maintaining close contact, occasionally through personal visits. When students begin to consider their lives after college, LEDA provides assistance with applications to graduate and professional schools (including planning for the GRE, LSAT, GMAT, and MCAT), internship opportunities, career planning, and job-hunting. LEDA prioritizes maintaining close relationships with its Scholars throughout their college careers and beyond. LEDA COLLEGE GRADUATES: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Christine from Houma, LA; Georgetown University 12: Senior HR Associate, Capital One Sunny from New York, NY; Middlebury College 12: Agricultural Project Lead, NASA Alex from Mascoutah, IL; Massachusetts Institute of Technology 13: Junior Engineer, ExxonMobil Kayla from Lapwai, ID; Stanford University 13: Product Marketing Associate, Twitter

8 LEDA SCHOLARS COLLEGE ENROLLMENT 2013* IVY LEAGUE (147) Brown University 14 Columbia University 7 Cornell University 7 Dartmouth College 13 Harvard University 20 Princeton University 60 University of Pennsylvania 12 Yale University 14 MOST COMPETITIVE (224) Amherst College 8 Barnard College 7 Boston College 7 Bowdoin College 2 Bryn Mawr College 3 Carnegie Mellon University 5 Case Western Reserve 1 Colgate University 3 Colorado College 1 Davidson College 9 Duke University 4 Emory University 5 Georgetown University 18 Haverford College 3 Johns Hopkins University 8 Lehigh University 1 Macalester College 2 MIT 15 Middlebury College 7 New York University 4 Northwestern University 7 Oberlin College 1 Occidental College 8 Pomona College 2 Reed College 5 Rice University 11 Smith College 5 Stanford University 26 Swarthmore College 4 Tufts University 5 Tulane University 1 U.S. Air Force Academy 1 UC Berkeley 3 UCLA 4 UNC Chapel Hill 2 University of Notre Dame 2 University of Richmond 3 USC 2 Vanderbilt University 3 Vassar College 2 Wake Forest University 1 Wellesley College 4 Wesleyan University 6 Whitman College 1 Williams College 2 HIGHLY COMPETITIVE (36) Babson College 1 Beloit College 1 Bentley University 1 Boston University 1 Christian Brothers University 1 Emerson College 1 Gettysburg College 1 Mount Holyoke College 2 Muhlenberg College 1 Rutgers University Honors Program 1 Sarah Lawrence College 1 Sewanee 1 Skidmore College 2 Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education a CUNY 2 Southwestern University 1 SUNY Binghamton 1 SUNY Stonybrook 1 Texas A&M University 2 Trinity University (TX) 1 UC Davis 3 Union College 1 University of Maryland, College Park 2 University of Puget Sound 2 University of Texas, Austin 4 Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1 VERY COMPETITIVE (48) Biola University 1 CUNY Baruch College 1 CUNY Macaulay Honors College 3 DePauw University 9 Florida Institute of Technology 1 George Mason University 1 Georgia State University 1 Ithaca College 1 Louisiana State University 1 Mercer University 1 Mills College 1 North Central College 1 Polytechnic Institute of NYU 1 Rochester Institute of Technology 1 San Diego State University 1 Spelman College 4 St. Edward s University 1 Stephens College 1 SUNY Albany 1 SUNY Oswego 1 UC Santa Cruz 1 UMass Amherst 1 University of Arkansas 3 University of Denver 1 University of Louisville 2 University of Missouri 1 University of the Pacific 2 University of Washington 1 Wabash College 1 Westminster College 1 Willamette University 1 COMPETITIVE & OTHER (32) Adelphi University 1 Alabama A&M Univesity 1 Arkansas State University 1 CUNY Brooklyn College 1 CUNY City College 1 CUNY College of Staten Island 1 Georgia State University 1 Guilford College 4 Howard University 2 L.A. Trade Technical College 1 Mississippi State University 1 Morehouse College 1 North Park University 1 Northern Illinois University 1 San Joaquin Delta College 1 Seton Hall University 1 Southern Illinois University 1 St. John s University 2 Texas Tech University 2 The College of Idaho 1 University of Central Florida 1 University of Kansas 1 University of Louisville 1 University of Minnesota 1 University of Richmond 1 University of Texas at Brownsville 1 *as classified by Barron s Profiles of American Colleges 30% Ivy League 46% Most Competitive 7% Highly Competitive 10% Very Competitive 7% Competitive & Other Without LEDA, I would not have cultivated my desire for personal growth because I never would have known that I had it. Sandra, Mattawa, WA LEDA Cohort 6 YALE UNIVERSITY Class of 2015 Excellence Integrity Compassion Community 501 Seventh Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY T: (212) F: (212) Photo credits: Aya Waller-Bey; LEDA