The first step we take towards college preparation is through career exposure. We believe as students see different career paths that they make more informed college choices. We have built into all of our classes exposure to different jobs in the creative industry through field trips and guest speakers. Our college programming starts Junior year in our programming.

We approach our college preparation in several ways:

• Individualized College Guidance

• Portfolio development

• College trips

• Application Bootcamp

• Financial Aid Workshops

• Exposure to Scholarship Opportunities

• Essay Workshops

Individualized College Guidance:

Our college advisor, Sherri Maxman - The College Maven, has over a decade of experience helping young adults find their path to college. She starts working with all our students in their junior year through a series of workshop and one on one meetings. Students build college lists, write essays, go on college visits, work through financial aid applications throughout their junior year. Additionally they work with an assigned mentor on portfolio development for applications. The week before school starts, we host a college application bootcamp at the corporate offices of one of our partners and students finish their college essay and all applications that week so that they head into the Fall of their senior year with minimal work to complete all their applications by our deadline of Thanksgiving.

Portfolio Development for art Schools:

All our seniors are matched with a professional artist to mentor them through the portfolio part of the application process. Our students begin development of a portfolio in the very first class once they enter our programming. We give structured focus to the application process the summer after Junior year after college lists are completed and students have identified the specific needs for each school they apply to with a portfolio requirement. Over the summer, students meet with their mentor bimonthly to review work and stay on track to have portfolios finished by the beginning of their senior year.