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Mission Statement
“Summit realizes that access to quality test preparation can be a huge boost in the college selection and application process. Many students do not have the means to access these services. Summit is working with non-profit community-based organizations and select schools to make free tutoring available to first-generation students. We are seeking motivated and responsible students who will make the most of this opportunity.”
This past year, Summit welcomed a cohort of 15 high school students to the Summit Scholars program. We are pleased to report that the program was a great success! On average, students who took the SATs increased their overall test scores by 105 points.
“The average score increase is a testament to the hard work of the students and the tutors alike,” said 2021-22 Summit Scholars Committee Chairperson Jessica Smalley. “This is a solid score increase, especially with all of the priorities these students have to balance on a daily basis.”
Our History
Established in 2020, the Summit Scholars Program has allowed Summit to give back to the community and address some of the systematic inequality we see around us by doing what we know best – tutoring. Each year, Summit has worked with area community-based organizations in order to identify students with great academic potential who are either first-generation college students or currently residing in underserved communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.
In addition to helping these students prepare for the SATs or ACTs, Summit also matches the students with area independent educational consultants for college admissions coaching. We are grateful to the tutors and educational consultants who have graciously volunteered their time to assist us in our mission to help these students access additional college resources.
We are also grateful to our non-profit partners. Each of these organizations has a mission that is closely aligned with Summit’s own of helping students reach their full potential. Rosie’s Theater Kids enriches children’s lives through arts education. The Roger Lehecka Double Discovery Center supports first-generation college attendees from low-income households through and beyond college. Future 5 connects low-income, high-initiative students in Stamford, CT to resources that help them successfully transition from high school to college or careers. And Fenway High School provides high-quality, personalized education to Boston students, over 90% of whom are people of color.
How it Works
Each year, Summit reaches out to area non-profit community-based organizations to kick off the program. We provide the organizations with a program overview and access to the materials that the counselors and the students will need to complete in order to apply to the program.
The process includes an application, essay, transcript, and counselor recommendation. These application elements are then reviewed by the Summit Scholars Committee. From there, applicants are selected and notified. Later on, they are matched with an independent educational consultant for college admission coaching.
“These students come to us highly recommended by school faculty and staff,” Smalley said. “They are smart and hardworking students – we are lucky to be able to assist them in their college journey.”
Along the way, the Summit Tutoring Services team assists with outreach to tutors who would like to volunteer to tutor recipients. After a practice test is taken, students are matched with an expert tutor that is suited to their personality type and ready to help them meet their goals.
“This program is truly a volunteer effort and we are so grateful to all who are involved,” Smalley said.
Results
On a scale of 1-10, this year, surveyed students rated their Summit tutor as a 10 when asked if their tutor was well able to explain difficult questions. The same score was provided for the effectiveness of practice tests. One student wrote that her tutor served as a mentor and that she was very grateful for her help and advice. “My tutor taught me skills that didn’t just apply to the SAT but for life as well,” the student said.
The Future
Going into the third season, Summit hopes to continue to build upon the success of the program as we work to increase enrollment and broaden the depth and scope of the program.
“We were thrilled with the outcome of our first season, receiving news that our candidates were accepted to noteworthy schools,” Smalley said. We will learn more about the application outcomes of this year’s students in the 2022-23 school year.
Contact us at 1-800-MY-TUTOR or info@mytutor.com
