30 KIPP Troy Prep High School Seniors Celebrate Submitting 275+ College Applications this Fall
Today, members of the KIPP Forward team, KIPP Capital Region faculty, staff, board members and community partners surprised the KIPP Troy Prep High School 30-student senior class with a catered lunch, awards, and recognition for collectively submitting 277 applications to more than 100 colleges and universities throughout the country.
Spearheaded by the three person KIPP Forward team, a program unique to KIPP Capital Region that helps students navigate and prepare for the educational and career path that fits their goals, the "College-App-Athon" celebration followed weeks of preparing personal statements and submitting college applications to the schools of their choice.
Also in attendance at today’s celebration were representatives from Hudson Valley Community College and community partners from National Grid and M&T Bank.
“Our work at KIPP Capital Region doesn’t stop once scholars graduate and move into their next chapters of life,” said Stephanie Valle, KIPP Capital Region CEO. “Our KIPP Forward team works hard to support KIPP’s Career Continuum Strategy so that from middle school to high school and beyond, KIPPsters have the support they need to pursue their dreams. Today’s celebration is a great demonstration of what we can achieve when we all work together. Thank you to the hardworking staff, students and our community partners that helped us surpass our application goals!”
“This 30-student class of 2025 accepted our challenge of submitting 200 college applications this fall, and they beat that goal by submitting a total of 277,” said Debra Garrett, Associate Director of Postsecondary Success.”Many KIPP scholars are first-generation learners and appreciate the guidance and motivation provided by our KIPP Forward team to help navigate the challenges of applying to the right schools for them, while also accessing financial aid support. We are so proud of their hard work and to have the opportunity to celebrate their success!”
“Surprising our seniors like we did today makes it all worth it,” said Myles Clendenin, Associate Director of College & Career. “As of today, our scholars collectively submitted 277 college applications and 35 of those applications have been accepted. We hope this class will set the bar high for future scholars and that next year we celebrate even more applications and acceptances.”
“Whether it’s campus tours locally or at HBCU Fairs in New York City, encouraging scholars to apply to colleges best suited to them, or walking through financial aid packages later in the year, our KIPP Forward team strives to support students every step of the way,” Janay Salter, College & Career Instructor & Counselor.
Each of the 30 scholars in the 2025 graduating class submitted at least one application to a State University of New York community college, college or university.
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