1. Your Partner for Building a
College-Going Culture
in High Schools
2. 2 Partnering With College Summit
Only 8% of low income students earn
a college degree by age 25. Yet, by
2020, 65% of jobs will require more
than a high school diploma.
Equipping high schools to prepare
all students for the next steps in
education and career.
Partner schools experience between
12 to 20 percent increases in college
enrollment rates over their own
baselines. Seven out of 10 college
freshmen who attended a partner high
school make it to sophomore year.
America’s Challenge College Summit’s Solution our impact
america’s challenge
3. Partnering With College Summit 1
If today’s young people are to have a fair shot
at the American dream—and if our nation
is to compete globally–there can be no
higher priority than supporting a world-class
education system that prepares all students
for future success.
Since its founding in 1996, College Summit
has been transforming the lives of low-income
youth by asking one simple question:
“Who is most influential to a 17 year-old?”
Answer: OTHER TEENS!
Our approach supports students becoming the
agents of their own change. College Summit
is unique in working with school leaders,
educators, and students to ensure high schools
have the kind of culture where going to college
is the expectation, not the exception.
College Summit begins by training influential
student “Peer Leaders” to encourage and
help their classmates apply to college. The
program also includes curricula and online
tools for grades 9-12 to teach students to
be smart consumers of their postsecondary
education and career options. More support
is provided through professional development
and data which equip educators to reinforce
the lessons that Peer Leaders share.
Our partnership leads to measurable gains
in the college enrollment rates (CER) of our
partner schools.
On the following pages, you will have a chance
to preview the benefits of a College Summit
partnership: the curricula, the online portal,
the training support, Peer Leader training,
and the data and reporting tools that will
allow your school leaders to track progress
and drive results.
We look forward to working together to prepare
your students for postsecondary success!
“This College Summit
experience was the
most amazing and
emotional part of my life.
I’m now starting to see
life in a new light.”
12th Grader, Academy for Scholarship
and Entrepreneurship, New York, NY
dear partner
6. 4 Partnering With College Summit
“When the Peer Leaders come back and share their stories and experience,
it sets a fire under the rest of the students. College Summit allows them to create
a realistic goal of going to college and provides them with the steps to do it.”
Winsome Falby, Director of DC PACT
High Road Upper School and High Road Academy
District of Columbia
7. Partnering With College Summit 5
Influential Youth
Peer Leaders and Alumni
Who is most
influential to a
teenager
Other
teens!?
The College Summit Workshop:
College Application Boot Camp
Peer Leaders are rising seniors identified and selected by their schools
to attend a College Summit Summer Workshop held on a local college
campus. Over four days, students draft a personal statement that can
be used in college and scholarship applications; meet one-on-one with
a college coach to create a “best match” college list; learn about financial
aid and self-advocacy; and receive innovative leadership training to build
college-going culture back at school.
Peer Leaders in the Classroom
Peer Leaders play a critical role in conveying the importance of postsec-
ondary planning to their classmates. Peer Leaders help run classroom
activities, work with groups of students on a specific aspect of the college
application process, and target individual students for extra support.
Innovative school-based activities have included personal statement
writing, FAFSA/financial aid workshops, college campus tours, applica-
tion drives, “I’m Going to College” pep rallies, College Summit clubs, and
college buddy/mentoring activities.
Continued support after High School
Using social media, volunteer opportunities, and professional development,
we engage with students in college to support them on their path to
graduation. We offer opportunities for students to connect with each other
and hear from experts on topics including financial aid, staying healthy in
college, creating support systems as a freshman, and how to communicate
with professors.
Alumni Opportunities
College Summit’s growing network of more than 100,000 alumni are
uniquely qualified to promote the college experience to high school students
in the communities where they reside. As volunteers, staff, and mentors,
they provide inspiration and practical information to the next generation
of college-goers. Alumni now make up more than 60% of our Summer
Workshop staff, and contribute an additional 2,500 service hours in our
schools and regions.
8. 6 Partnering With College Summit
Provides students with an engaging opportunity
during the school day to explore, apply to, and
prepare for education/training after high school.
Student Edition
Students create a Senior Portfolio that includes all of the planning milestones
and products necessary to apply to postsecondary learning opportunities.
As students create these products, they practice valuable transferable skills
which will help them succeed in postsecondary life, including goal-setting,
action planning, research, and reflection.
The College Summit Navigator Student Edition features:
• Senior Year Planning Calendars with vital dates and deadlines to
keep students on track throughout the year
• 33 weeks of activities to help students plan for and transition to
life after high school
• A variety of resources and templates to help students create
postsecondary plans
• A glossary of common postsecondary planning terms and concepts
Educator Edition
Aligns with national and state standards (common core) for counseling,
language arts, and career and technical education.
Educators benefit from features like:
• 33 start-to-finish lesson plans with suggestions for modification
and extension
• Measurable learning objectives based on authentic student
performance
• Built-in assessments and suggestions for scaffolding and
differentiation
• Step-by-step instructions for using our online college and career
planning tool, CSNav
• Strategies for tapping into the power of College Summit Peer Leaders
• Classroom resources to make the curriculum relevant to all students
Our curriculum
For Students in Grades 9-12
navigator curriculum - grade 12
9. Partnering With College Summit 7
launch curriculum - grades 9-11
Students achieve mastery of research-based core
understandings, equipping them to progress through
high school on a college-ready path.
The five research-based core understandings are: self-advocacy, academic
excellence, college/career connection, college 101, and financial aware-
ness. Each year of Launch consists of more than 30 easy-to-use, ready-to-
implement, and developmentally-appropriate lesson plans that incorporate
internet-based CSNav activities for each grade, including:
Clean Slate - 9th grade
• Make a smooth transition to high school
• Make positive choices today that will set students up for
success tomorrow
Speak Up! - 10th grade
• Students explain who they are, where they come from, and where
they want to go
• Students express themselves in writing, speaking, and other forms
of communication
• Students use strategies to overcome a variety of academic,
professional, and personal barriers
Take Action! - 11th grade
• Articulate students’ next steps after high school graduation
• Students take action to set themselves up for a successful
senior year
These lessons allow educators to quickly and easily create dynamic class-
room experiences for all students centered around rich discussion, relevant
activity, and meaningful assessment.
Launch student workbooks include supporting worksheets, supplemental
graphic organizers, activity pages, and space for reflection.
Launch educator books contain detailed lesson plans, assessment tools,
recommendations for differentiation, ideas for lesson extensions, and
suggestions for supplementary resources.
“Because of College Summit, I have come to
the realization that I am COLLEGE MATERIAL!”
9th Grader, North Miami Beach Senior High School, Miami, FL
10. 8 Partnering With College Summit
CSNav
Our Online Postsecondary Planning Portal
The CSNav Student Center allows students to prepare for college entry exams, search
for colleges, access individualized financial aid information, develop and store application
materials, and explore well-matched careers.
On the Professional Center educators can comment on student work, communicate
with students about their progress, and easily access online classroom and student data.
What makes CSNav so valuable?
• CSNav automatically creates reports on how many students in each grade have
completed critical milestones, as well as which students are on track or behind
• “CSNav Connections” help educators incorporate over 150 downloadable
supplementary lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, and other useful materials
into their classrooms
• CSNav can be used in the classroom, at home, in the library, or from any
computer with an internet connection
Does your school use Naviance?
College Summit services are fully compatible with the Naviance platform. Many of our
school partners use Naviance and have a positive experience integrating the two.
CSNav is fully integrated with our curricula and
includes lesson plans for use in the computer lab.
11. Partnering With College Summit 9
Educator Academy
The Educator Academy, typically held before the school year, is a local training for teachers and
counselors who will teach the College Summit curricula or coordinate the program at their school.
Sessions provide educators with the know-how to guide students through the postsecondary
planning and enrollment process. Educators also learn strategies for building a robust college-
going culture in their school communities.
Onsite Coaching
College Summit is unique in providing job-embedded professional development that supports
educators in forging a sustainable college-going culture. College Summit’s School Partnership
Managers work in close collaboration with partner educators, regularly visiting classrooms to
provide technical assistance and offer tips and best practices in response to each school’s unique
challenges. School Partnership Managers help counselors and teachers connect our curricula to
their school’s goals; help educators design and deliver dynamic College Summit classrooms; and
ensure they have what they need for their students to succeed.
professional development
and support
“College Summit is a way to achieve the school-wide goal of creating
a college-going culture. It also provides measures for growth,
training, professional development, and support.”
Nathaniel R. Laney, Jr., Principal
Forestville Military Academy, Prince George’s County, MD
College Summit’s professional devel-
opment for teachers and counselors
helps raise expectations for students.
Our training and support fosters learn-
ing communities that maintain ongoing
professional growth and continuous
program innovation.
12. 10 Partnering With College Summit
Data and reporting
Detailed reports to our school partners provide information on student performance that help
educators focus their energy, strengthen instruction, and support innovation. Real-time data
fosters dynamic conversations that lead to strengthened postsecondary outcomes.
Student Milestone Reports
Detailed school and district data in student milestone reports
allow superintendents to view performance across schools, while
principals and counselors can analyze classroom-level detail.
Working in conjunction with our online portal CSNav, reports
contain information on student progress toward college-planning
milestones such as the creation of a college list, applications
sent, standardized tests taken, and FAFSA completion.
College Enrollment Rate Reports (Annual)
Persistence and college graduation data collected from the
National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) are processed, stored,
and analyzed using the College Summit Data Warehouse. College
Summit seeks to make this data actionable by sharing it with
school leaders so that they can make adjustments in resources,
curricula, and scheduling in order to increase students’ postsec-
ondary opportunities.
partnership with Naviance
College Summit has partnered with Naviance to allow schools
to use our curricula with their tool, receiving all the benefits of
student milestone tracking and data reports.
SCHOOL A
SCHOOL B
Sample CSNAV MILESTONE REPORT
senior
year plan
college list
personal
statement
college
application
sat/act
fafsa
12%
55%
29%
35%
39%
65%
29%
17%
57%
60%
71%
17%
13. Partnering With College Summit 11
signaling
Promotions that Excite and Energize
College Summit provides high schools with banners, posters,
and tshirts that create a college-going culture.
To ensure that all students receive the positive message that they have choices and
options for their future, clear and consistent communications are critical. College Summit
helps school partners develop school year campaigns that:
• Promote college-going and awareness for all students
• Compel seniors to complete the FAFSA on time
• Recruit and motivate the next year’s class of senior Peer Leaders
We are always delighted and amazed by the creative
displays our partners and their Peer Leaders
produce organically to celebrate and signal
college-going.
“If a program doesn’t speak to the
heart, it doesn’t speak to the reality
of my students.”
Tajah Gross, Principal
Achievement Academy, Harbor City High
Baltimore City Public Schools, MD
14. 12 Partnering With College Summit
“College Summit and our Peer Leaders ensure that the
door of opportunity does not close on any student.”
Dr. Reginald Sirls, Principal
Morningside High School, Inglewood Unified School District, CA
15. Partnering With College Summit 13
College Summit is the national nonprofit
partnering with high schools and collaborat-
ing with principals, teachers, and the most
influential seniors to put every student on
the path to higher education. Our compre-
hensive system – summer workshops, curri-
cula, influential student peer leaders, trained
educators, and actionable data – ensures all
students graduate with a realistic postsec-
ondary plan in place.
More than twenty years ago in a low-income
community center in Washington, DC, College
Summit began when J.B. Schramm guided a
few promising students through the college
admissions process. College Summit has
grown to serve 50,000 students annually in
180 partner high schools in 15 states and the
District of Columbia.
States with College Summit
partner schools
2014-15 expansion sites
(Detroit, Chicago and Tulsa)
American high schools are shifting their
purpose from graduation to preparing all
students for college and career success.
about college summit
16. 14 Partnering With College Summit
Through philanthropy, pro-bono services, volunteerism and leadership, Deloitte
supports College Summit’s efforts across the country. In 2010, College Summit
and Deloitte won the prestigious Partnership Award from the US Chamber of
Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center.
The Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation provides generous support for all
aspects of College Summit’s mission, including the Launch program for grades
9-11, summer workshops, and Peer Leader training so that all young people have
access to the tools and training needed to succeed.
Fossil Group, through a combination of corporate giving and employee
volunteerism, is building and promoting a Peer Leader brand that will assist
College Summit students in their college and career pursuits.
New Profit, Inc. supports College Summit’s growth with a Social Innovation Fund
award, which was designed by the White House to help innovative nonprofits
scale. In partnership with New Profit, College Summit has grown from serving
14,000 students to 50,000 a year.
our partners
Our students and schools are proving that the barriers to postsecondary success can
be surmounted. With the support of high schools, leading foundations, businesses, and
investors, College Summit is raising the trajectory of students’ lives.
With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, College Summit is
working with the best mobile and Facebook app developers to create tools
that assist students with getting to and through college.
Capital One Foundation’s Building the Alumni Generation initiative is helping
College Summit’s effort to build a grassroots and social network to support
alumni during college.
The Samberg Family Foundation is a long-time supporter of College Summit
since 2002. Members of the Samberg family serve on College Summit’s Board of
Directors and are tireless champions of the organization’s mission.
17. Partnering With College Summit 15
“At Deloitte, we take seriously our
responsibility to the community, and believe
the business world has a powerful role to play,
whether it is volunteerism, pro-bono services,
or cash donations, in responding to the
challenges in our education system.”
Barry Salzberg CEO
Deloitte LLP and Board Chair, College Summit
18. College Summit
National
1763 Columbia Road, NW
Second Floor
Washington, DC 20009
t 202.319.1763
f 202.319.1233
College Summit
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College Summit
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College Summit
Indiana
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Indianapolis, IN 46202
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f 317.972.4394
contact us
College Summit
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Washington, DC 20017
t 202.269.0638
f 202.269.0555
College Summit
New York/New Jersey
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Suite 1202
New York, NY 10005
t 646.783.6150
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College Summit
Connecticut
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Second Floor
New Haven, CT 06510
t 203.776.0671
f 203.776.0658
College Summit
Northern California
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Suite 205
San Francisco, CA 94103
t 415.227.9905
f 415.227.4595
College Summit
Southern California
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Suite 160
El Segundo, CA 90245
t 310.216.2701
f 310.216.2897
College Summit
South Carolina
Staley Hall, Room 225
300 College Street
Orangeburg, SC 29117
t 803.516.4877
f 803.533.3797
College Summit
Missouri
801 N. 11th Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
t 314.345.4463
f 314.345.2669
College Summit
West Virginia
100-L Faculty Circle
Dunbar, WV 25064
t 304.204.4061
f 304.204.4069
19. “College Summit allows our students
to discover and work towards a life
beyond high school by giving them
structured tools to accomplish their
college-going dreams.”
Krystal Greene, College Summit Advisor
Inglewood High School
Inglewood Unified School District, CA
20. College Summit | 1763 Columbia Road, NW | Second Floor | Washington, DC 20009 | collegesummit.org