According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development, the odd that a young person in the U.S. will go to college if their parents haven’t is 29%, which is the lowest among developed countries.
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, 74% of those now attending colleges that are classified as “most competitive,” a group that includes schools like Harvard, Emory, Stanford and Notre Dame, come from families with earnings in the top income quartile, while only 3% come from families in the bottom quartile.
The statistics present a clear opportunity gap for students in low-income neighborhoods and first-generation Americans. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that 63% of all new job opening through 2018 will require a college education. Yet only 38% of Americans currently hold college degrees. The educational inequities that exist paint a grim picture for the future of our society—growing income gaps. At Practice Makes Perfect, however, we see this as an opportunity to empower and provide a large, and often overlooked, group of students with the tools and skills that they need to succeed in their post-secondary education.
Currently, with the average high school graduation rate for inner-city public schools hovering around 60%, and historically only 33% of inner-city high school students graduating being college ready—we realize how small the talent pool of inner-city high school students is. Thus, marketing to thousands of students that may never be eligible or possess the qualifications necessary to reach your Universities can be frustrating and wasteful.
After much thought, Practice Makes Perfect has created a monthly publication that goes out to hundreds, and soon thousands, of some of the most ambitious inner-city high school students across New York City. Our high school students have been involved with Practice Makes Perfect as early as their freshman year in high school gaining critical insight on college and developing their test taking skills prior to taking the P/SAT exams.
As a way for Universities to reach our students, we allow sponsoring Universities to place information in our monthly publication that advertises opportunities and scholarships that their school offers for our students. The sponsoring funds are reinvested to provide quality college-preparation for the Practice Makes Perfect high school Mentor Scholars.
Interested in becoming a sponsoring University? Or just want more information? Contact us atinfo@pmpnyc.org.
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