COLLEGE COACHING PROGRAM

Legacy Foundation’s College Coaching Program focuses on establishing a college-going culture to motivate, encourage, and guide Legacy Scholars to set college acceptance and graduation as an achievable goal, especially for those students who will be the first in their families to attend college. Our goal is to inspire the best in every student and instill in them from an early age the belief in post-secondary achievement and success, while providing them with the resources and support they need. Our scholars spend their Saturdays on campus at the University of Hartford, building familiarity and confidence within the college environment every week.

Beginning in elementary school, Legacy’s college counseling curriculum is designed to immerse students in an environment where they can understand the benefits of higher education. Our students  also gain confidence in their future success through discussing short- and long-term goals, understanding different learning styles, exploring career fields, reviewing and selecting high school courses, developing good work habits, and exploring extracurricular interests—all of which promote a well-rounded and positive academic experience.

In the high school years, we continue to actively aid our scholars in planning for their future. We discuss college readiness, career and college exploration, financial aid, student and parent expectations, and summer pre-college and enrichment opportunities, including job shadow and/or internship possibilities. We recently introduced our College Conversations series for our students to learn first-hand from others about their college journeys.

Our graduating high school seniors are typically accepted to at least 90% of the colleges they apply to and regularly receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in merit scholarships.

As early as ninth  grade, we provide our students access to college fairs, campus visits, and college admission rep panels. In their junior year, our college coach assists students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including building a “best fit” college list and crafting the college essay, one of the most powerful weapons at their disposal. We encourage them to broaden their options and find opportunities to take advantage of multicultural diversity overnight fly-in programs at colleges around the country.  These college visits are especially important because it shows our Legacy Scholars that other students of color with similar backgrounds are actively succeeding—an image that is particularly empowering and motivating.

As students approach their senior year, we focus on finalizing a balanced college list, completing and submitting college and financial aid applications, and conducting mock college interviews. Our process continues as we analyze and compare our scholars’ college admissions decisions and financial aid awards.  Once they decide on their first choice college, we engage in more in-depth discussions with our scholars and their families about dorm life, adapting to a college environment, and the impact of leaving home—for some, their first time.

Legacy’s College Success Program keeps us connected to our college students through monthly meetings to discuss common challenges, celebrate successes, share academic strategies, and prepare for internships and job searches. Class of 2018 was the inaugural graduating class of our Legacy Scholars.  Since then, each year we have had scholars graduate high school and gain admission to a wide range of colleges with substantial financial aid awards—both merit and need-based.