College & Career Success

We help each student as they prepare for and select the right college or career based on their interests and passions.

500

The number of high school students enrolled in Inwood Academy.

91%

Cumulative graduation rate of 5 graduation cohort classes

77%

The percentage of alumni who are in a full-time college program.

Overview

At Inwood Academy for Leadership, We further equip our students, many of whom are the first in their family to pursue higher education, to excel post-graduation by educating them about their choices and coaching them through the completion of their chosen pursuit. Our College and Career Success (CCS) program is designed to familiarize families with college options while preparing students for college completion or entering a career. We provide students with intensive academic support for SAT, AP and Regents test preparation. We take our high school scholars on college visits and provide intensive college and career counseling sessions to support students with choosing the right college or career. We offer parent workshops to familiarize and educate families on college preparation, financial aid to pay for college, and support for their child during their college years.

We want to see 60% or more of our students who enter a four-year post-secondary institution receive their degree within six years of starting. This number is higher than the national average, which is just over 40% for Black and Hispanic students. In order to realize this goal, we need to begin orienting our students to their many options as young as possible.

A brief overview of Inwood Academy’s College & Career Success Initiative to date:

The College & Career Success Program (CCS) has existed since our first graduating class entered high school in 2014. Inwood Academy students are supported throughout all four years of their high school career with dedicated grade counselors, a college transition counselor, and a College and Career Success class teacher.

Since 2019, many alumni have chosen to volunteer for our annual Alumni Weeks, which are oriented around the goal of teaching students to tap into their own communities for the resources they need to make future decisions.

Senior Video, Class of 2023

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Simone Smith

Director, College & Career Success
simone.smith@ialcs.org

Erica Messina

12th Grade CCS School/Post-Secondary Counselor
erica.Messina@ialcs.org

Ali Rose

11th Grade CCS School Counselor
ali.rose@ialcs.org

Eliana Perez-Green

10th Grade CCS School Counselor
eliana.perez@ialcs.org

Jameli Rosa

9th Grade CCS Counselor
jameli.rosa@ialcs.org

Jason Lantigua

Middle School CCS School Counselor
jason.lantigua@ialcs.org

Hazel Torres

CCS Alumni Success Manager
hazel.torres@ialcs.org

Sarah Adjei

CCS Alumni Intern
Sarah.adjei@ialcs.org

Academic Support

The primary goal of the CCS Academic Counseling team is to ensure that students at Inwood Academy have the tools and resources needed to be able to navigate their academic goals and make progress towards graduation in a timely and supported manner. Many times the CCS Academic Counselors will be collaborating and advocating on behalf of students with various stakeholders to ensure student progress is possible.

KEY Support:
Academic Counseling
HS Student Scheduling
Vocational Assessments
Graduation Tracking & Communication

College & Career Success Courses

CCS courses offer curriculum resources for students designed to guide them throughout their high school and post-secondary transition. Courses touch upon comprehensive skills assessment, identification of work and personal values, career interests, and learning styles. The goal of these courses are to provide Trailblazers with the space to gain insight on their skills, interests and aspirations in order to make informed decisions regarding their future.
Freshman Year Leadership Seminar
Middle School to High School Transition

College and Career Prep Course
Kaplan SAT Prep

Senior Capstone in Leadership
In addition to these courses, students are able to participated in our partnership program with the NYC College Now located at the City College of New York. This partnership gives Inwood Academy students preference for taking college courses at no charge. Upon successful completion of courses, students receive both college credit. In addition to the City College courses, qualified students can take courses at other participating College Now institutions.

Career Exploration

Beyond creating a bridge between secondary school and postsecondary success, career exploration plays a critical role for students while in school and provides thoughtful reflection and self-examination as students choose their life path. High-quality career exploration helps give meaning to the learning students are doing while in school, provides focus for their decision-making and time, and inspires hope for where their learning and hard work can take them. We offer this through various ways including:

SEO Scholars
S-Prep Columbia
Mitsubishi Internship
SBA Club
CUNY in the Heights Read Alliance
Double Discovery
LANG
NYU CALI (New York University’s College Access Leadership Institute)
University of Rochester Pre College Program (Summer)
New York County District Attorney's Office Mock Trial
Girls Who Code
FIT Pre-college program
Project Morry
SYE

Post-Secondary Support

A dedicated counselor works with each senior to help identify the best college match and ensures each scholar applies for multiple colleges, completes FAFSA, and applies for scholarships. The counselor corresponds with college admissions and scholarship representatives to schedule visits and interviews and implements partnerships for our students, including those with NYC’s College Now and College Starter programs.

Alumni

We will help alumni navigate the academic, social, and financial challenges they might encounter while in college. We are committed to ensuring that they have the support they need to matriculate and graduate from college.

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Beyond IAL Scholarship Fund

100% of your contribution will provide financial relief for our seniors’ freshman year of college.

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