In South Jersey, the lack of access, preparation, and motivation for youth to attend college is alarming. Many high schools lack the time, funding, and facilities to provide students with the necessary information, exposure, and experience to make fully empowered decisions about post-high-school education. The result: many students do not attend college.
Rutgers–Camden is responding to this crisis by launching the Aim High Academy, a college readiness summer program for rising 12th graders in select South Jersey high schools. The program is free of charge.
From July 7-26, 40 high school students will live on campus at Rutgers in order to gain the firsthand experience and skills to attend and succeed at college.
Included in the three-week schedule are a college Algebra course, a Statistics course, a daily Writing Workshop, weekly field trips to college campuses in PA/NJ/D.C., discussion panels with invited experts, and a college-level Mathematics Placement test.
Each student will also create a civic engagement action plan that addresses a specific social issue in his/her community or school and will then implement the plan during the school year.
Once the program ends, AHA students will continue to receive support from Rutgers–Camden during their senior year – including mentorship by current Rutgers college students, that will help seniors register and take the SATs, apply to colleges, and submit their FAFSA and locate financial aid.
Parents will also receive resources and participate in activities that ensure they have the necessary knowledge on how to support their children as they navigate the college application process.
Contact information
Matthew McCaffrey, AIM High Program Coordinator
mcmcca@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
direct: 856.225.2922 main: 856.225.6348 fax: 856.225.6500
*The contents of this website were developed under the College Access Challenge Grant from the United States Department of Education (USDOE). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the USDOE, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.