College Preparation Coach
CollegePath LA
Launch Pad Finalist
Big Idea
Public schools in large urban areas typically have thousands of students – and often just one college counselor. Private schools, by contrast, generally offer individualized counseling and guidance; students are tutored in SAT preparation. Those resources give private school students a tremendous advantage over their public school peers in navigating a difficult, bewildering process. In addition, students from low-income communities need help finding and applying for scholarships to finance their postsecondary school education.
I’d like to recruit a corps of encore volunteer coaches to connect public high school students in Los Angeles to nonprofits and other resources in their communities that can help them get to college.
As part of this idea, there would be field trips for students to visit local colleges, educational events for students' parents and SAT preparation. At the core of the program would be volunteer encore coaches who would donate their time. However, if the program grows, it might eventually need a paid, part-time administrator to coordinate activities with school principals, teachers, parents and students.
Our pilot program, CollegePath LA, is now taking shape at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles with the support of the principal, college counselor and a corps of dedicated teachers and volunteers.
About Rhonda Rundle
As a former journalist and editor, I've had experience working with people, finding experts who understand the nuances of various issues and communicating with a general audience. I've also taken courses in nonprofit management that have provided insights into building a nonprofit. And, as a parent, I’ve had experience guiding my own children through the college application process, including curriculum selection, teacher recommendations, test preparation and writing personal statements.
As a volunteer with CollegePath LA, I coach students through the college preparation and selection process.
