Doubling Our Impact
March 2015
Welcoming Our Largest Class of NYC 9th Graders Ever!

Doubling Our Impact in NYC...
Meet Our First Class of 261 9th Graders!
Thanks to your support, we've met our goal of doubling the number of 9th grade NYC students we accepted this year! 
 
After  1,000+ student applications, 668 interviews and a week of intense deliberation, we officially have our largest class ever: the Class of 2018.  They represent 92 high schools across all five boroughs . 
  • 87% will be first-generation college graduates
  • 80% are Black or Hispanic
  • 50% are male
  • Median family income: $22,539

We're so proud to have 261 new Scholars who we'll work to transform into college graduates over the next eight years.  

 

Thank you for helping us make this happen! 
In This Issue

Opening Doors of Opportunity For 261 NYC Families

Earning a college degree has a ripple effect that transforms families for generations. In fact, it's the most effective anti-poverty tool. That's why we're so excited for the 261 families we welcomed into our own on Saturday, February 28 at our Orientation at NYU. These parents, grandparents, siblings, and guardians are all as proud and hopeful as we are for their new 9th grade SEO Scholars--and with good reason. 95% of SEO Scholars graduate from college within 6 years, and 80% graduate in 4 years. 

Only the Best Instructors for Our Scholars

Our new NYC 9th grade Scholars are a lucky bunch. They'll be learning from 23 superstar instructors at their Saturday and weekday classes this spring. We had 220 applicants for 11 open 9th and 10th grade positions, and only an extremely talented 5% of this pool received offers to teach our Scholars.  

 

On Saturdays, instructors will teach math, critical writing, critical reading, grammar, and vocabulary. On weekdays, 9th grade English Language Arts instructors will teach text-based discussion seminars on scholarly identity and values while math instructors will lead small group instruction to extend the core algebra unit of Saturday's curriculum.  

 

This summer, 27 instructors will teach the 9th and 10th grade NYC Scholars during a five-week Summer Academy.
In San Francisco: Meet the New 9th Grade Class

Thanks to your support, we welcomed 28 new 9th graders into our program in San Francisco. All come from low-income families, and 96% will be first-generation college graduates. These Scholars join our 10th, 11th and 12th graders for classes on Saturdays, after school, and in the summers to prepare them to get to and through college.

 

The need for SEO Scholars is acute in San Francisco, where the Education Trust-West assigned the school district a D- for academic outcomes for low-income students and students of color. By participating in our intensive academic program over the next three and a half years, 100% of these new 9th grade Scholars will graduate from high school prepared to succeed at four-year colleges. 

 

View photos of San Francisco's new class of 2018!
Kravis Scholars Dinner 2014
Chairman Henry Kravis with our Scholars at last year's Awards Dinner.
Honoring Bloomberg and Rubenstein in April

Join us at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan on April 27th for SEO's 12th Annual Awards Dinner. Proceeds from the event will benefit SEO Scholars. Mix and mingle with the SEO family, and meet our inspiring Scholars. Honorees include Michael R. Bloomberg, David M. Rubenstein and SEO alumnus and Board Treasurer Gilbert A. Garcia. The dinner chair is Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America.