A group of ten incoming students from Atlanta will arrive to GW in a “posse.” Earlier this month, the university announced a new partnership with the Posse Foundation, beginning in fall 2016.
The Posse Foundation selects a diverse group of students with high potential to succeed in college that may be missed by traditional admissions criteria. High school seniors are nominated to be a part of the posse, and then go through a three-part dynamic assessment process that uses non-traditional evaluation methods to identify students with extraordinary academic and leadership skills.
After a rigorous evaluation process, the university and Posse Atlanta staff will select ten multicultural and high-achieving students to join the Class of 2020 and receive full-tuition. From January to August of their senior year, the students will meet weekly for workshops on team building and group support, cross-cultural communication, leadership, and academic excellence. Once they arrive to campus, the students will meet a mentor every two weeks for their freshman and sophomore years, and will serve as a support system for one another.
According to the organization’s website, Posse scholars have a graduation rate of 90%. With a built-in support system, the foundation hopes to support its more 6,000 scholars to not only be admitted, but also succeed and graduate. As a postsecondary degree becomes more critical for future success, preparation and support during the transition to college is critical for student success, especially for first-generation college students.
The partnership was one of many recommendations from the university’s Task Force on Access and Success, which was created by President in Knapp in 2014 to expand higher education opportunities for low-income students. PAF alumnus Cameron Smither, CCAS BA ’12 MPP ’14, served as the graduate student representative on the task force in 2014. GW joins Boston University, Vanderbilt University, the University of Pennsylvania, and 49 other colleges and universities as Posse partners. Another PAF connection with the Posse Foundation is Michael Trask, CCAS BA '03, GSHED MA '05, who serves as program director for POSSE DC.
In 2020, 40 Posse scholars will be Colonials. 41% of Posse alumni have a graduate degree or are currently pursuing one. Hopefully, one of the Posse scholars will join the PAFamily as a member of our 2020-22 cohort!