NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                               CONTACT:  Sarah Idowu or Natalie Rule

February 8, 2008                                                                                                         651.917.3525

ADMISSION POSSIBLE & AAUW MINNESOTA TEAM UP

FOR MINNESOTA’S COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS

ST. PAUL, Minn. (February 8, 2008) – Saturday’s ‘I’m Going to College’ fair, funded by the American Association of University Women Minnesota, at Augsburg College will showcase workshops led by Admission Possible AmeriCorps service members who coach Twin Cities low-income high school juniors and seniors year-round on how to earn admission to college.  Representatives from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa private and public colleges and universities will also be on site to provide information.

The free fair and lunch is open to Minnesota high school students who registered by February 1 with AAUW, and takes place Saturday, February 9, at Augsburg College’s Christensen Center from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m.  Same-day registration with AAUW is also available on site, but will not include free lunch, so participants should plan accordingly.  For the day’s agenda: www.AAUWMN.org. 

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our coaches to share their expertise with an even broader community of deserving young people here in Minnesota,” said Admission Possible founder and CEO Jim McCorkell.  “I applaud the AAUW Minnesota and its branches in making this free workshop and fair available each year to students from throughout Minnesota.  We’re pleased to do our part to help make it possible.” 

To learn more about becoming an Admission Possible coach and apply by the March 24, 2008 deadline, go to www.AdmissionPossible.org

Jon Gorman, an Admission Possible coach at Arlington High School in St. Paul and AAUW financial aid workshop leader, said, "Receiving a college education is one of the most powerful things that young people can do to ensure that they have successful futures.  This AAUW event is a wonderful opportunity to help shed some light on the many options that exist for students to connect with the support they need to make their dreams turn into reality."

Admission Possible is a nonprofit organization that works to make college admission possible for promising, low-income students with assistance through twice-weekly, after-school programming at 15 area partner high schools.  Admission Possible coaches are AmeriCorps members who each coach a student group of 30-40 in one of the Admission Possible partner high schools.  Each coach is a recent college graduate who goes through Admission Possible’s intensive coach training, then serves either juniors or seniors for a year.

‘Junior coaches’ work intensively with juniors in preparing for the ACT and raising their scores.  Overall, Admission Possible juniors who enter the program in the bottom tenth percentile of all ACT test takers increase their scores by an average of 18 percent, making college admission a reality.

‘Senior coaches’ work one-on-one and in small workshop sessions with their students in researching colleges, preparing high-impact college applications, applying for financial aid and making the transition to college.   Since Admission Possible’s founding in 2000, 98 percent of the organization’s students have earned admission to at least one college.

Admission Possible is a nonprofit organization founded in Minnesota in 2000 and dedicated to helping promising low-income high school students prepare for and earn admission to college.  Admission Possible works to make college possible by providing their students with four free critical services: (1) ACT and SAT test preparation; (2) intensive assistance in preparing college applications; (3) help in obtaining financial aid; and (4) guidance in the transition to college. Admission Possible currently serves 1,200 students at 15 high schools in the metro area, and has helped 98 percent of its students earn admission to college since its founding in 2000. 

The American Association of University Women has been the nation’s leading voice promoting education and equity for women and girls for more than a century.  Through its vital nationwide network, AAUW opens doors for women and girls and influences public debate on critical social issues such as education, civil rights and health care. AAUW also sponsors community programs; publishes groundbreaking research on women, girls, and education; provides the world’s largest source of funding exclusively for graduate women; and fights sex discrimination in education. AAUW’s work extends globally through its membership in the International Federation of University Women with 79 national affiliates and members in over 120 countries.

To learn more about Admission Possible, go to www.AdmissionPossible.org.  For more information about the Association of American University Women Minnesota, go to www.AAUWMN.org.  To learn more about AmeriCorps, go to www.AmeriCorps.org                                            

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