College-Ready Becomes College-Going

The first Alliance senior class – 147 students at Gertz-Ressler High School – has the happy task of choosing the colleges they will attend in the fall.  Over 370 fat acceptance letters have come in so far! 

It’s been an avalanche of good news,” says Veronica Gonzalez, Gertz-Ressler’s College Counselor proudly, as she looks over a spreadsheet filled with the names of colleges that want students from Gertz-Ressler’s Class of 2008. From Boston College and Wellesley  in Massachusetts to Southern Oregon University,  all nine UC campuses, and every Cal State University, admissions directors have said, “We are pleased to inform you…..”  

Gertz-Ressler students will be members of the freshman classes at UC Berkeley and UCLA, at Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  52% of the class applied to private colleges. Many of them can enroll at out of state schools such as Xavier University, Mount Holyoke (Mass.), or Stephens College in Missouri. Principal Howard Lappin is enjoying their accomplishments, too.  “I am proud of our seniors, the Class of 2008.  Their rate of applications and, more importantly, their rate of acceptance into four-year colleges and universities proves that what we are doing works.”

The teens have been on the college path since the day they first enrolled in the Alliance’s premiere high school and began the rigorous and required college prep academics. That path grew to include college application work last summer. “We encouraged every student to apply to at least three colleges,” explains Ms. Gonzalez  “The kids worked really hard on a mountain of forms, personal essays, and teacher recommendations. It’s new territory for many. Workshops were held and my office was filled every day and even Saturdays.  But we got it done!”