Legacy Foundation’s College Counseling Program focuses on college access, persistence, and completion for all Legacy Scholars.  As all of our students will be the first in their family to attend college, building a college-going culture among these families is central to that mission. 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.

Beginning in middle school, Legacy’s college counseling curriculum is designed to immerse students in an environment where they will understand the benefits of higher education and what it means to be a first-generation college student.  They will also gain confidence in their future success through discussions of short and long-term goals, creating expectations, career exploration, review and planning of 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, college “fit,” financial aid, student and parent expectations, and summer pre-college and enrichment opportunities, including job shadow and/or internship possibilities. Beginning in the 10th grade, we provide our students access to college fairs, campus visits, and standardized test preparation.  Our college counselor assists students in all aspects of the college admissions process.  We work particularly hard with our juniors on their college essays, one of the most powerful weapons at their disposal, through idea development and execution of writing and grammar.  We encourage them to broaden their options during their college search and find opportunities for them to take advantage of multicultural diversity overnight fly-in programs at colleges around the country.  These college visits are especially important because it shows them that other students are actively succeeding; an image that is particularly empowering.

As students approach their senior year, we focus on compiling a balanced college list, completing and submitting college and financial aid applications, and 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 discuss with them and their families dorm life and adapting to a college environment and the impact of leaving home.

We are extremely proud of Legacy’s Class of 2018, its inaugural graduating class.  These students’ hard work and commitment have ensured their admission to colleges with substantial financial aid awards – both merit and need-based.  A number of colleges, including Ohio Wesleyan University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Johnson & Wales University, Western New England University, and the University of Hartford, have offered our scholars admission to the Class of 2022 with over $700,000 in merit scholarship funding.

Legacy’s support of its scholars does not end with high school graduation.  Our College Counseling Program exists to support the Legacy mission that every scholar will enroll in and graduate from college. We are also developing a college persistence program that will serve students in their college careers, including the transition from high school to college, ongoing communication and visits during their college years, strategic support for their academic success, and creation of a network for Legacy alumni to support its younger students.