EMERGE FELLOWSHIP
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Mission Statement
MISSION: EMERGE empowers and equips high-achieving students from low-income communities to attend, thrive at, and graduate from the nation's best colleges.
About This Cause
A college degree holds the power to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Yet, alarmingly, only 22 percent of first-generation students from low-income backgrounds in Houston are projected to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years of high school graduation. And while a degree from a selective college offers low-income students a transformative pathway to long-term success and social and economic mobility, only 23% of students with the grades and test scores to succeed at the nation’s best colleges ever apply. Through EMERGE’s innovative, high-touch program, we are pleased to share that: 95% of the EMERGE high school class of 2025 applied to at least one selective college or university. 98% of the EMERGE high school class of 2024 were accepted to at least one selective college or university. (Class of 2025 data will be available soon) 94% of the EMERGE high school class of 2024 matriculated to a four-year college or university. 74% of the EMERGE high school class of 2024 matriculated to a selective four-year college or university. 80% of the EMERGE students over the last five years have graduated college within six years. EMERGE students begin a seven-year journey through the program, starting their sophomore year through college graduation. Core components of the EMERGE program include: Intensive college counseling: EMERGE reduces the student-to-counselor ratio from an average of 400:1 to 60:1 and provides guidance to help our students become top applicants to selective institutions. Our advising curriculum helps students elevate their profile by choosing rigorous course tracks, extracurricular activities, and summer enrichment opportunities. We also provide SAT preparation support, financial aid workshops, and intensive writing support for personal essays. Exposure to top colleges: EMERGE takes students on nationwide college tours that foster a college-oriented mindset. The impact of these trips cannot be overstated. For many of our students it is their first time traveling on an airplane and for some it is even their first time out of Texas. When students step foot on selective college campuses, they begin to experience a sense of belonging that turns a dream into a reality. Enrollment support: We know that supporting our students cannot stop once they receive an acceptance letter. Up to 40 percent of students nationwide who are accepted into college never end up matriculating and so EMERGE is committed to helping our students successfully transition to the college of their choice. We provide our students with summer bridge programming that guides them through booking flights, paying tuition, finding room and board, securing health insurance, and more. We also help students begin community before even arriving on campus through our SQUADS program that connects EMERGE students with peers attending the same school for support and mentorship. Guidance for on-time graduation: EMERGE remains committed to our students through their college graduation. We incentivize students to connect with on-campus support champions such as academic advisors and offices that support first-generation or multicultural students. We also provide proactive assistance to prevent minor issues from becoming major obstacles to students’ persistence and offer personalized counseling for students facing significant financial, academic, or personal challenges. The EMERGE college success team is building formal partnerships with colleges and universities that agree to provide our students with significant financial aid and robust academic and social-emotional support on campus. EMERGE is currently serving 3,300 students across five Houston-area school districts and at more than 150 colleges and universities across the country. Over 95% of EMERGE students are economically disadvantaged and currently are or will be first-generation college students. Most are students of color. EMERGE specifically recruits students who rank in the top 15% of their graduating class and have strong PSAT scores, but who lack the guidance and exposure needed to navigate the college application process and to understand that they have the potential to attend a selective college, often at very little to no cost.