A child in Ithaca who is not economically disadvantaged has an 87% chance of graduating on time from Ithaca High School. A child who is economically disadvantaged has a 49% chance of doing the same (www.nysed.gov). Is that evidence of educational inequity in our community? Keep reading.
There is an alarming disparity in educational opportunity between lower-income high school students in Ithaca and their middle or upper class counterparts. There is a disturbing reality in America that the one-third of academically high-achieving students from low-income families never enroll in a four-year college[1].
In spite of their talents, most of these young people will never know the joy of a professional career, of raising children in an educated household, or of living with financial security and breaking out of the poverty in which they were raised. Why can’t students make the leap to higher education? As practically any student at Cornell can tell you, it’s not that easy. Applying to college is a complex process with many steps that must all be skillfully completed.
Unfortunately, as much as we’d like to believe differently, not all students have access to an equal educational environment nor are all schools created equal. The average ratio of student to counselors in America is 740:1[2]. Most of their parents did not go to college, and for many, the only person they know well who did is their teacher, someone they often recognize as underpaid and disrespected. It is clear that the support gap between high school and college places low-income students who are applying to college at a great disadvantage.
Specifically in Ithaca, there is a lack of college access programming for traditionally underserved high school students. High-cost SAT tutoring is outside the means of underprivileged high school students’ families and community organizations do not focus on this critical time prior to the college application process. Furthermore, in Ithaca, 61% of grade 8 white students in comparison to 18% of their Black/Latino peers are passing the English/Math Test[3]. Such statistics demonstrate the gap in education for the traditionally underserved students in Ithaca—How will we bridge this gap that seems to be ever-widening?
Let's Get Ready! (LGR) is an intercollegiate program designed to provide underprivileged high school students with critical programming at the gateway to college entry. LGR will pair Cornell University undergraduates with traditionally underserved high school students, providing qualifying students with free intensive preparation for SAT exams, college mentoring, and financial aid coaching. LGR seeks to equip students and parents with the information necessary to enable students to go to college. The LGR model has proven to be an immense success at the campuses of Harvard, Brown, MIT, and Columbia University. To date, over 1,200 students have been served with an average increase of 134 points in their SAT scores. 94% of all LGR students have gone to college directly after high school and have applied and won more than $1.9 million in scholarships.
The results of the Let's Get Ready! program in Ithaca have been impressive. LGR!, during its inaugural spring 2004 run at Ithaca High School, has served 37 high school students. Of these, there was 1 freshman, 6 sophomores, 18 juniors and 12 seniors. 41% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch (and therefore are at an economic disadvantage). 60% are minorities. Their incoming combined SAT scores ranged from 540 to 1230. Upon completion of the program, the average score of all the participants increased by 106 points! For students who completed the first and third diagnostic exams, their scores increased by 70 points! By all accounts, the program has been successful.
We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with the Cornell Public Service Center, the Ithaca Youth Bureau, the Village at Ithaca and the national Let's Get Ready! organization. Our operating budget is approximately $15,000 per year, which includes program materials, training, and other support, much of which comes directly from the National LGR! office. If you would like to find out how you can help us continue to provide this service to the community, please e-mail us at letsgetready@cornell.edu.
[1] The National Center For Education Statistics: Education Trust Inc. The
Condition of Education, 1997
[2] CollegeBoundnews.com Vol.15 No.3 November 2000.
[3] http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/repcrd399/D_610600.html.
