Student Application. Dear Student,

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1 Student Application Dear Student, We are thrilled that you are interested in applying to Breakthrough Birmingham! If you are a current sixthgrade student in the Birmingham City Schools system, and are committed to working hard to reach your academic goals, please thoughtfully complete the following application. Breakthrough Birmingham is completely free for all students. Breakthrough Birmingham supports motivated students on the path to college: Six years of tuition-free, college-access programming (7th 12th grade) Three summers of rigorous academic enrichment programming (7th 9thgrade) Two years of comprehensive school-year programming, including after-school tutoring and Saturday events (7th 8th grade) Continued academic and extracurricular support throughout high school, including college guidance (9th 12th grade) Access to role models and mentors that are successful college and high-school students Breakthrough Birmingham scholars are outstanding middle school students: Motivated to learn and want to go to college Focused, driven, enthusiastic, and curious about learning Serve as positive community members by exhibiting leadership skills and respect for others Demonstrate a need for Breakthrough Breakthrough is a rigorous program that requires dedication and hard work. YOU not your parents, not your teachers, not your classmates will have to show up every day and put in this hard work. Be sure that you are willing to commit yourself fully to the program before applying. Thank you for showing dedication to your education. The Breakthrough Birmingham Team

2 Submitting Your Application All application materials should be scanned and ed to faxed to (415) , or mailed to the following address: Anthony Oliver Breakthrough Birmingham th Street North, Suite 822 Birmingham, AL PLEASE KEEP THIS PAGE FOR YOUR RECORDS 2

3 Frequently Asked Questions What is Breakthrough Birmingham? Breakthrough is a tuition-free, year-round, academic enrichment program that supports motivated students on the path to college. Breakthrough includes both a summer program and a school-year program. The summer program consists of a full academic school day for six weeks: students take math, reading, writing, and science classes in addition to fun electives, such as dance, arts and crafts, and music. The school-year program consists of after-school tutoring and Saturday events. Is Breakthrough for me? We are looking for current sixth-grade students from Birmingham City Schools. Breakthrough students are motivated, hard-working individuals who are excited to make new friends and have fun while learning. ALL Breakthrough students aspire to go to college and are willing to push themselves to excel academically. Breakthrough is a very challenging program. We accept only students who are willing to make mistakes, learn from them, and push themselves to their fullest potential. If these characteristics describe you, you might make a great Breakthrough student. What is the commitment? Accepted students make a six-year commitment (7th 12th grade): Three summers of rigorous academic enrichment programming (7th 9thgrade) Two years of comprehensive school-year programming, including after school tutoring and Saturday events (7th 8th grade) Continued academic and extracurricular support throughout high school, including college guidance (9th 12th grade) Access to role models and mentors that are successful college and high school students Who are our teachers? Breakthrough teachers are hard-working, driven, and diverse college students drawn from schools both local and across the country (including UAB, Alabama, Harvard, Stanford, Auburn, and Yale). The teacher selection process is extremely selective: we choose less than 30% of the teachers who apply to work with us. While the teachers are only five to nine years older than you, they undergo an intensive teacher-training program where they learn to design rigorous, engaging classes and use instructional strategies that teach to the way the brainworks! Our teachers all love to learn and want to share their creative ideas with you. They work with professional teachers who have demonstrated effectiveness in the classroom to ensure the students leave the classroom with the skills they need to be successful in the most challenging high schools and colleges. Breakthrough students often say that the Breakthrough teachers are the most engaging and fun teachers they ve ever worked with! 3

4 Frequently Asked Questions How much does Breakthrough cost? Breakthrough is 100% free for all students. We are looking for students with a compelling economic need for atuition-freeprogram. Is there homework? Of course! Breakthrough is an academic program for students who want to work hard, learn more, and have fun. Students will be assigned about two hours of homework each night during the summer program. It is required that students complete all homework at Breakthrough. Any important advice? Remember that Breakthrough is selective. There are many applicants who are very hard-working and talented. However, there are a limited number of spaces in the program. Whether or not you are admitted to the program, completing this application will be a great learning process. Write a rough draft so your writing is your best, and use blue or black pen, not pencil, on the final draft of your application. Alternatively, if you choose to type your responses, use a 12-point font and attach additional pages as needed. Be yourself and have fun! 4

5 Student Application Name: School: Gender: Grade: Date of Birth: How did you hear about Breakthrough? Has anyone in your family attended Breakthrough before? (Circle one) If yes, how are you related? Yes No Short Answer Questions Instructions: Answer the following questions in 3 4 thoughtful sentences. Write neatly in blue or black pen, or type (12-point font). If you choose to type your answers, you may attach an additional page. 1. If you had the opportunity to learn something new, what would it be? Why? 2. What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it to a friend? Why or why not? 3. What are two qualities that you have that make you a successful student? Why are they important? 4. What are your favorite things to do outside of school (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Why do you enjoy them? 5

6 Student Application Student Commitment Instructions: Read and sign the commitment below. Choose one part of the commitment that will be easy for you to uphold and one part that challenges your thinking. On the following page, please explain your choices in a well-formed paragraph (5 6 sentences). Write neatly in blue or black pen, or type (12-point font). If you choose to type your answers, you may attach an additional page. If accepted to Breakthrough Birmingham, I agree to uphold these commitments: To attend Breakthrough Birmingham s six-year college-prep program (7th 12th grade), including: Three consecutive six-week summer programs (7th 9th grade) After-school tutoring and Saturday events (7th 8th grade) High-school programming (9th 12th grade) To work hard to maintain an average of 80% or above in all classes, at school and Breakthrough To be present and punctual every time I come tobreakthrough To bring with me a positive attitude, respect, and the willingness to work hard In exchange for this commitment, I expect Breakthrough Birmingham to provide the following: Academic challenges Instruction provided by college and high-school students Opportunities to make new friends and have fun An understanding of the exciting high school and eventually college opportunities that await me Student Signature: 6

7 Student Application Student Essay Instructions: Respond to the following prompt in an essay that is 2 3 paragraphs in length. This essay should reflect your work only. Write neatly in blue or black pen, or type (12-point font). You may attach additional pages if necessary. Prompt: Consider a community that you are a part of (e.g., neighborhood, school, church) and reflect on one challenge faced by that community. How can you help solve this challenge? 7

8 Student Name: School: Grade: Parent/Guardian 1 Parent/Guardian 2 Name: Name: Address: Address: Home phone: Cell phone: address: Home phone: Cell phone: address: