Welcome to College Summit

The College Partnership

College Summit is a national nonprofit organization that partners with high schools and school districts that serve low-income and first-generation communities to build a college-ready culture and increase college enrollment rates.

The College Summit Strategy

Supporting College Summit High Schools

The College Summit Strategy

On-campus Workshops give influential students the skills they need to navigate the college admissions process and to motivate their peers to do the same.
Learn More.

Postsecondary Planning Course guides students through the college admissions process. Learn More.

Professional development empowers educators to support all seniors through the college admissions process and learn best practices for raising student achievement. Learn More.

Data tools for determining college enrollment rates and tracking students’ real-time progress towards enrollment enable effective and timely decision making and accurate measurement of school-wide progress. Learn More.

College Partners support participating high schools by building relationships with and lending their expertise to students and educators.

The Result:
Partner high schools and school districts support all of their students through the college admissions process and partner colleges get unique access to College Summit schools, educators and students.

Supporting College Summit High Schools

Colleges support our partner high schools by playing a vital role in our signature student trainings and sharing information with participating high school educators at our national professional development forum.

Summer Workshops: Training Partner High Schools’ Most Influential Students

Every summer, college partners kick off our work by hosting students, volunteers and staff on their campuses for multiple College Summit Workshops. Participating students are selected by their teachers as their schools’ most influential rising seniors – typically low-income students that have shown potential beyond their test scores and grades.

Over four days during the summer before their senior year, these student leaders come to a College Partner’s campus to tackle the college admissions process and learn to strengthen the college-going culture in their high schools, as Peer Leaders. Most students arrive on campus assuming that college is out of their reach. Four days later, they leave confident that college is a real option for them. Peer Leaders begin their senior year motivated and prepared to pursue higher education and encourage their peers to do the same.

The Workshop is also a great opportunity for our college partners to make personal, face-to-face connections with prospective students. By signing up as workshop volunteers, faculty, staff and alumni can help College Summit students successfully navigate the college admissions process and learn more about their institution.

While on the campus of a College Partner, our Peer Leaders:

• Work in writing teams with volunteer writing coaches to craft compelling Personal Statements that show their holistic strengths
• Meet individually with volunteer college counselors to develop a College List
• Participate in interactive sessions to learn the fundamentals of the financial aid process
• Work with youth facilitators to understand the challenges they may face as they work to enroll in college and develop methods to overcome them.    

Find out more about hosting a College Summit Summer Workshop.

Find out more about volunteering at College Summit Workshops.

The College Summit Institute: Connecting with College Summit Educators

At the College Summit Institute (“CSI”), colleges have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn from, share their expertise and network with hundreds of educators from partnering high schools at College Summit’s national professional development forum for high school educators.

How Colleges Get Involved:

They exhibit at the CSI College Fair. Share information and network with hundreds of participating teachers, counselors and high school administrators.

They lead CSI sessions. Work with College Summit to develop a compelling CSI session where your faculty and staff have an opportunity to share their knowledge and perspective with high school educators committed to finding the best college fit each of their students.

They learn at CSI. Attend CSI sessions and gain insight into the work high school educators and other experts are doing to improve college access and student achievement.

Find out more about the College Summit Institute.