NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     CONTACT:  Natalie Rule or Sarah Idowu

                                                         651.917.3525     

August 15, 2008                                                                                     

STUDENTS ACHIEVE GREAT RESULTS AS ADMISSION POSSIBLE GROWS

For 1,300 Greater Twin Cities students, going back to school will include Admission Possible

St. Paul, Minn. –  The 566 Admission Possible seniors in 2007-2008 – the program’s largest class yet -  have a lot to be proud of, as an impressive 99% of these students were admitted to college.  Achievements of this magnitude have become increasingly possible due to the aggressive expansion of Admission Possible, which has more than doubled in size in just two years. As school kicks off this fall, Admission Possible will serve 1,300 students in 17 partner high schools across the Twin Cities – up from 15 last year, and only two schools in the initial efforts in 2000.

Perhaps the most exciting part of this program growth is that as the number of participating Admission Possible students grows, so then does the number of low-income students reaching their goals of accessing college.  The seniors weren’t alone in their achievement this year: after committing to intensive four-hour-a-week after-school Admission Possible programming, with an emphasis on test prep curriculum and a series of practice exams, the 650 juniors in the program raised their ACT scores by an average of more than 22%; whereas leading for-profit companies boast 12-14% increases. 

Admission Possible students report an average family income of less than $25,000 and the Admission Possible student group this fall is 95% students of color.  “Our students’ success continues to be remarkable.  Their efforts and perserverance through the most difficult of circumstances inspire us all at Admission Possible to continue to create opportunities for an increasing number of students,” said Jim McCorkell, founder and CEO of Admission Possible. 

In addition to Admission Possible students gaining admission to college, this group of Admission Possible seniors has earned $2.3 million in competitive private scholarships, thanks to their dedication to the process of finding scholarship opportunities, meeting deadlines, and submitting their strongest possible writing samples.  Admission Possible seniors have been admitted to more than 200 colleges and universities in the United States and will enroll in more than 90 different schools this fall.  To obtain an interview with an Admission Possible student who will be attending college this fall, please contact Sarah Idowu at 651.917.3525 or Sarah@AdmissionPossible.org. 

ABOUT ADMISSION POSSIBLE

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 by providing ACT/SAT test preparation, admissions and financial aid consulting and guidance in the transition to college.  Admission Possible serves 1,300 students at 17 high schools in the metro area.  Since 2000, 99 percent of Admission Possible students have been admitted to college.

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