Nearly 90 Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students will spend a week on the Lawrence University campus July 9-15 for a five-day, pre-college workshop coordinated by College Horizons, a New Mexico-based non-profit organization that works to increase the number of these students who succeed in college.
Representing 21 states and 42 tribes, students from as far away as Kamuela, Hawaii, Metlakatla, Alaska and Belmont, Mass., will participate in an “academic boot camp” designed to assist them in the college search process.
This will be Lawrence’s third time serving as host of the program since 2008. Lawrence is one of 46 partner colleges working with College Horizons.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our friends from College Horizons back to Lawrence,” said Ken Anselment, dean of admissions and financial aid. “It’s an extraordinary blend of people who will be together on campus and in Appleton for several days.”
Founded in 1998, the week’s programming will feature college and high school counselors, admission officers, essay specialists and tribal leaders who will work individually with the 86 participating students and lead small group sessions on topics ranging from “Overview of the ACT/SAT,” “Financial Aid & Scholarships: How Can I Afford College?” and “Native Students and College.”
The workshop is designed to assist Native American students in developing a list of appropriate colleges to consider, prepare a winning application, write a memorable essay, maximize their ACT or SAT scores and navigate the financial aid/scholarship maze. At the end of the week, students leave with a completed college application and a list of colleges with which they are likely to be good matches.
Najma Osman from Lawrence’s admissions office will be joined by representatives from 33 of the nation’s best colleges and universities — Brown, Caltech, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, Notre Dame, Princeton, Stanford and Yale among them — who will be on hand to assist the students.
Since its inception, more than 2,800 students have participated in College Horizons workshops with impressive results. Ninety-nine percent of those students have been admitted to college, 95% matriculate onto a four-year institution and 85% have graduated college within five years.
Four past participants of a College Horizon summer workshop are current students at Lawrence.
Anselment called Lawrence’s participation in the College Horizons program “a natural fit” given the college’s very first class in 1849 included 13 members of the Oneida Nation.
“That these students and counselors will all be here, living on campus during a beautiful Wisconsin summer, is a real bonus for all of us,” said Anselment.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
