College Coach in the Community | College Coach Blog

Applying for college is a confusing and overwhelming project, one that is already challenging for students lucky enough to live in school districts that offer well-funded college counseling offices at their local high schools.  Students who attend less well-funded high schools, or who are taking a non-traditional path to college, often fall through the cracks.  Here at College Coach, we believe deeply in the power of education, and we are committed to helping everyone access it.  To that end, we developed a Community Support Committee a few years ago and are always looking for opportunities to help under-served populations with the college application process by working with the non-profit organizations that serve them. Workforce Development Program at Dana Farber A recent highlight of our activities includes volunteering for the Dana Farber Workforce Development Program.  The Workforce Development Program mentors students, giving them internships and providing them with job training.  In addition, they assist their students with their college applications.  To help them with this endeavor, members of the College Coach Finance team conducted a program for high school students to understand the full cost of attending the college of their choice, the long-term impact of loans, and how families should discuss the process of paying for college with each other.  In addition, they assisted seniors in filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid.) Youth Mentoring at TRUE Mentors Program This March, a member of our team of college admissions experts spoke to three juniors from the True Mentors Program, as well as one of their Directors.  This Hoboken, New Jersey, program mentors children ages seven through seventeen to counteract the effects of living with above average rates of crime and poverty in their community.  Our educator, Amy Alexander, advised them individually on choosing the right college by taking into account not just majors, but also extra-curricular activities, class size, affordability, and location, among other elements. Volunteering at The LIGHT House Perhaps College Coach’s longest standing service commitment has been to The LIGHT House, a Kansas City, Missouri, organization that assists women who have had an unplanned pregnancy.  Given that such major life events often derail educational plans, College Coach makes regular visits to assist the women to get back on track with their educational plans, providing individualized counseling not just on paying for the return to school, but choosing the right educational program for them and applying for those programs.  A recruiter for Bright Horizons, College Coach’s parent company, also came to one of our workshops to discuss how to prepare for interviews and give tips on job performance.  Our work there has already yielded a college graduate who, having completed her nursing degree, is working in a hospice as she parents her lovely daughter. If you are part of, or know of an organization that could use College Coach’s help, please reach out and let us know at our email address, communitysupport@getintocollege.com.