For Immediate Release: September 30, 2009

Contact: Shanda T. Ivory sivory@nacacnet.org

September 30, 2009 (Arlington, VA) –The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) presented Admission Possible, a non-profit organization based in Minnesota, with its 2009 Human Relations Award at the association’s 65th National Conference last week in Baltimore, MD. For 25 years, NACAC has awarded this honor to people and organizations who have committed themselves to helping historically underserved students achieve postsecondary goals.

Since 2000, Admission Possible has built an impressive college admission success rate with its pairings of recent college graduate volunteers and 1,300 students in 17 high schools across five school districts in the Greater Twin Cities. The fact that 99 percent of students in the program gain admission to college combined with its cost-effective structure has led other states to adopt similar programs. Nearly 80 percent of Admission Possible alumni who enrolled in college are still working toward a degree or have graduated, compared to a seven percent graduation rate nationwide for low-income students before they reach the age of 24.

College admission barriers facing low-income students inspired Founder and CEO Jim McCorkell, who is also a first-generation college graduate, to address the opportunity gap. The wide division between SAT scores of students with affluent backgrounds and students with families who fall below the poverty line demonstrated a need for college admission resources in low-income school districts. By assigning AmeriCorps volunteers with small groups of students, McCorkell and Admission Possible generated a partnership that increases the college-going rate of low-income students with little operating costs. The volunteers help students prepare for standardized tests, apply for financial aid, select college-prep courses, write college applications, and help with the transition to college.    

NACAC’s Human Relations Committee decided to highlight the efforts of Admission Possible this year specifically for the program’s stated task of providing underserved students with opportunities for postsecondary success and supporting the workforce with strong, educated graduates. “NACAC applauds Admission Possible for addressing the needs of underserved students and for taking action with practical and proven methods for success,” said NACAC Chief Executive Officer Joyce Smith.

About NACAC
NACAC is an Arlington, VA-based education association of more than 11,000 secondary school counselors, independent counselors, college admission and financial aid officers, enrollment managers, and organizations that work with students as they make the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The association, founded in 1937, is committed to maintaining high standards that foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process, as outlined in the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice.