Journey to College: Students Explore Out-of-State Options Through Posse Partners Trip
Student Leadership Network high school juniors have launched their college search! While many of our students initially focus on options close to home, exploring institutions in different regions can open doors to a broader range of opportunities and experiences. Our first network-wide Posse Foundation and college exposure trip took place this month, bringing together 43 public school students across 14 CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) partner schools in New York City to visit Lafayette College and Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. The trip included immersive campus experiences and raised awareness of prestigious opportunities like the Posse Foundation program that can make attending out-of-state institutions financially feasible.
Building College Knowledge and Scholarship Awareness
For its first network-wide college trip of the year, CBI chose two prestigious liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania that are also Posse Foundation partner institutions. Lafayette College, with 21 CBI alumni, and Franklin & Marshall College with 17 CBI alumni, have proven track records of supporting our students’ college retention and graduation.
The Posse Foundation identifies, recruits, and trains students with extraordinary leadership potential who go on to earn full-tuition, merit-based scholarships from its partner colleges and universities. Their cohort-based program provides mentoring, career planning, and other support, resulting in scholars achieving a 90% college graduation rate—significantly higher than the national average!
This dual-campus visit serves multiple strategic purposes:
- Expanding geographic horizons: Many participating students had never considered colleges outside NYC, for reasons such as lack of exposure or transportation. CBI makes it possible for students to experience campuses firsthand and challenges geographical limitations in college selection.
- Scholarship awareness: By introducing the POSSE program and other scholarship opportunities through direct exposure to partner institutions, students gain a concrete understanding of a significant opportunity before each program’s application and interview process.
- Practical preparation: Under the guidance of their CBI directors of college counseling, students complete structured activities to assess factors that are important to their success, including academic programs, campus resources, and student life.
This trip helped me explore colleges I had never heard of before, opened my mind to liberal arts schools, and gave me more clarity on finding my best-fit college, especially outside of New York City. —CBI High School Student
Scholarship programs like those offered through the Posse Foundation play a crucial role in making college education accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. These competitive awards not only provide financial support but also create cohorts of 10-12 students from the same city who enter college together, offering built-in community and support systems at partner institutions. Five students across our network will be attending college in the fall as Posse Scholars!
Exposure Matters
Immersive college visits can profoundly shift mindsets and aspirations. Our directors of college counseling report that campus visits are among the strongest predictors of college application follow-through and enrollment. Hearing about Lafayette College’s student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 takes on new meaning when students can witness these personalized educational experiences firsthand. Similarly, conversations with Franklin & Marshall students who have participated in study abroad programs across 60 countries make these opportunities feel tangible. A student from CBI partner school Manhattan Early College for Advertising shared, “I loved everything about this trip! I’m still not sure I’m ready to go that far away from home, but actually traveling to the colleges and being on their campuses gave me a lot to think about.”
By coordinating strategic college visits, CBI broadens students’ awareness of their options and raises the visibility of students’ interests to college admissions teams. Angelique Figueroa, an Associate Director of CBI who led the planning of this trip, spoke about the positive feedback she’s heard from both sides. “The students asked great questions, stayed curious, and left each campus visit genuinely interested. The college staff were impressed and are excited to keep this partnership going—they can’t wait to read our students’ applications this fall!”
By connecting highly driven students with institutions that partner with the Posse Foundation and other scholarship programs, we’re creating tangible pathways to selective colleges and support systems for our students. Expanding students’ search horizons might just lead to the perfect educational fit—sometimes in places they least expect.
For more information about our programs and impact, visit our CollegeBound Initiative page. For more information about the Posse Foundation, visit their webpage.
Thank You to Partners and Chaperones
Thank you to all of the staff at Lafayette and Franklin & Marshall who welcomed our students to your campuses. A special shout-out to the CBI team who ensured our students had a meaningful and fun visit to expand their college options: Angelique Figueroa, Benjamin Ramos, Cristin Biscotto, John Toribio-Perez, Kiomaris Sandoval, and Tyra Riedemonn!
