From The Desk of Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley

As we prepare for the summer months, take note of these great academic and college preparatory opportunities for teens across the city!

A Better Chance (ABC) places top middle and high school students of color in highly ranked independent day schools, boarding schools and public schools. Students with at least a B+ average who are ranked in the top 10% of their class are eligible. Candidates must apply one year in advance. To learn more click here.  

The Center for Leadership and College Preparation, affiliated with Bank  Street College of Education, offers educational opportunities both to high-achieving students and to struggling students. The program serves kids in 5th-12th grades, giving them access to a wide range of academic resources, college prep classes, counseling, mentoring and activities, as well as individual attention and support. Students are admitted in the 5th, 7th and 9th grades. To learn more click here.  

College Now is designed to prepare New York City's public high school students for college. In most cases, a public high school teams up with one or more of the 17 City University of New York (CUNY) colleges. The program offers eligible students a number of ways to improve their high school performance and get a head start on college. College Now offers academic courses, campus-based tours and cultural events, and scholarships.  To learn more click here.  

The Double Discovery Center at Columbia University houses two educational programs serving low-income and first-generation college-bound students: Talent Search is a career and college counseling program for students in 7th to 12th grades, and Upward Bound is an intensive, year-round college preparatory program for high school students who have been under performing. New applicants to Upward Bound must be in 9th or 10th grade. To learn more click here. 

Harlem Education Activities Fund (HEAF) offers intensive academic enrichment courses, test preparation, and social and personal development activities for students after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. The goal is to assist college-bound students from educationally and/or economically disadvantaged communities in developing intellectual and life skills. Programs are specific to middle and high school students. To learn more click here.  

Monroe College Jumpstart allows high school juniors and seniors to earn three college credits for free. In a 15-week course, the students study with professors in a college setting and earn credits. Courses are offered in accounting, business, criminal justice, culinary arts, allied health professions, hotel and restaurant management, marketing, web design and information technology. Students who complete the program are eligible for freshman scholarships if they choose to matriculate to Monroe for college, and the credits are transferable for students who go elsewhere. To learn more click here.  

The Posse Foundation identifies recruits and trains student leaders from public high schools to form multicultural teams called "posses." These teams are then prepared, through an eight-month pre-collegiate training program, for enrollment at top-tier universities and colleges nationwide. The Posse Foundation has placed 1,850 students into colleges and universities during the past two decades. To learn more click here.  

Summer on the Hill at Horace Mann is an enrichment program for academically talented public school students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Students start in the 2nd grade and continue until placed in high school, participating in Saturday-morning classes during the school year and a six-week summer session. They study language arts, math and science, and learn study skills. Summer programs include fine arts, recreation and an overnight trip to the John Dorr Nature Laboratory in Connecticut. Summer on the Hill continues to offer support through 12th grade. To learn more click here. 

The TEAK Fellowship supports students seeking to gain admissions to top high schools and colleges. Students, who are citizens or permanent residents, have proof of financial need and have scored above 90 percent on tests and in class may apply by October of their 6th-grade year. The program runs from the summer after 6th grade until college placement. Only 30 students are accepted each year. To learn more click here.