College Summit :: Southern California

Southern California

College Summit is a national non-profit organization, founded in 1993 on the belief that all students have the potential to continue their educations beyond high school. College Summit broke ground in Los Angeles for the 2003-04 school year, establishing its Southern California region.

Since its inception, College Summit Southern California has served more than 14,000 youth in Los Angeles, with Peer Leaders enrolling in college at a rate of 68% – nearly twice as many as those who do not participate in our program. What’s more, our college enrollees are staying in college, with more than 75% advancing to their second year.

During the 2012-13 academic year, College Summit Southern California is working with nearly 4,000 students at 11 high schools across the Southland to drive up college enrollment rates. To meet this end, we’re training and supporting more than 100 educators and 280 Peer Leaders to foster college-going cultures at their high schools. We’re meeting our mission of giving more students the chance to pursue their dreams in college.

College Summit – Southern California
880 Apollo Street, Suite 160
El Segundo, CA 90245
t. 310.216.2701
f. 310.216.2897
e. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Our Impact

College Summit works to impact the lives of young people and their families by fostering settings in local high schools where all students are expected to go to college. We view high school as a launchpad to bigger and better things, whether that means community college, two-year university, or four-year university. Here’s what we’re seeing:

Since 2004, College Summit Southern California has served more than 10,000 students, including 2,400 9th through 11th graders and 7,700 seniors.
Since our region’s founding in 2003, more than 1,400 Peer Leaders have participated in our summer workshops, where they learned the basics of the college-going process, participated in leadership trainings, and gained the skills to be agents of change on their high school campus in promoting a sustainable college-going culture.
In 2011, College Summit Southern California helped students to such prominent universities as: UC Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford, Harvard, Pace, St. John’s, USC, Emerson, Loyola Marymount University, Dartmouth, Xavier, Tuskegee, Hofstra, University of Wisconsin - Madison, University of Arizona, and more!

Among the 1,552 seniors served in 2011-12, 81% completed a senior year plan, 86% created a college list, 78% submitted college applications, and 75% submitted the FAFSA. Among the 736 seniors who completed their A-G requirements in 2011-12, 98% applied to four year institutions. Last year’s seniors completed their milestones at a 6.2% higher rate than the previous year’s class.
Among the 210 Peer Leaders we served in 2011-12, 98% created a college list, 99%completed a Personal Statement, 77% took the SAT/ACT, 93% sent in college applications, and 85% submitted the FAFSA.

In spite of the global economic crisis and substantial increases in college tuition and fees, an average of 61% (986) of the 1,474 high school graduates at seven partner high schools enrolled in college in the Fall of 2011 and the Spring of 2012. 23% of these students attended four-year institutions and 43% attended two-year institutions.
Compared to the Class of 2010, Arleta and Morningside High increased their overall College Enrollment Rates (CER) by 7% and 9% respectively, while Fairfax High and Washington Prep High remained steady. Four-year CER rates increased by 17% at Morningside, 11% at Arleta, and 12% at Sylmar High. At Inglewood High and Sylmar’s Health and Wellness SLC, more students enrolled in college compared to Class of 2010 numbers, but at the same time significantly more students graduated from both of these schools, so there was not a corresponding CER increase.
Among the 275 Peer Leaders served in 2010-11, 76% (209) enrolled in college in Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 (well beyond the 52% average CER in low-income communities).

Student persistence to the second year of college increased to 79% in 2009, representing a steady increase from 72% in 2005.

In 2011-12, we interfaced with more than 70 educators from our eight partner schools. Educators received robust trainings on how to increase college enrollment and foster sustainable college-going cultures. Through the College Summit program, the senior student to college-savvy educator ratio is reduced from 1:450 to 1:30 per high school.

Recent Accomplishments

The 2011-2012 school year was a great year for College Summit Southern California. During summer 2011, we held four Peer Leader Workshops at the University of Redlands and the University of Southern California, which were attended by more than 230 Peer Leaders and staffed by a cadre of nearly 60 volunteers from around the country. We trained more than 100 principals, teachers, and counselors at our Educator Academies, where they learned how to better prepare students for the college application process and foster college-going cultures in their high schools.

Our region grew organizationally during the last year as well. Southern California gained an Executive Director, a Program Manager, a Development Manager, and hired a new Community Engagement Coordinator. We’ve expanded our budget significantly thanks to generous grants from the Weingart Foundation and the Rose Hills Foundation, and have forged important partnerships with community organizations through our relationships.