Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Tom Parker explained that the program will allow students at the College to mentor 20 high school seniors from across the country. "The purpose of the program is for Amherst students for whom financial aid was a concern when they were applying to college helping a set of current high school seniors," said Parker.
Darren Reaume '02, who works in the Admissions Office and also coaches ice hockey at the College, worked with President Anthony Marx and Parker in order to establish the pilot program with five students from the College. Reaume and Parker worked with other staff from the Admissions Office to choose mentors who are interested in educational reform.
Questbridge, a program that provides opportunities for higher education for talented, lower-income students, identified the high school seniors who are participating in the program. "These are exceptional kids who come from low-income, underrepresented backgrounds who don't have any guides through the college search process," said Reaume.
Parker emphasized that the mentors would not only help students with the technical aspects of applying to college such as completing aid forms, but would also provide guidance about campus life as well as general friendly advice about the sometimes stressful process. "Through the process [students will] have a friend [or] contemporary to encourage them, give them tips," Parker said. "It would not only be in terms of the technical aspects, but also to give them hope, not to worry."
High school students participating in the program are not required to attend the College if they are accepted. "This has nothing to do with [attending] Amherst College," said Reaume. "It's any school they want to attend, any school that would be best for them.
Parker added that he hopes that at least some participants will choose to attend the College, although that is not the basis of the program. "Your hope is that someone would decide to come to Amherst, but even if they don't, the students will still have a great experience with Amherst," said Parker. "And hopefully Amherst will have a great experience with the students."
Marx was fundamental in the establishment of the program. He said that he believes that there are students who can succeed at competitive schools but need assistance with the application process. "There are students who are not informed about how to prepare for college, how to apply for college and how financial aid works, but who are of high academic ability," he said. "Maybe one thing we could do is help provide those kinds of students with information from students here, who know about preparing for college."
Reaume believes that the program allows students who have a unique experience to share what they have learned. "I think the idea from Tony [Marx] was that we have a lot of kids at Amherst who come from these types of backgrounds," he said. "They've had a valuable experience going through that process and there are a lot of students who need that help."
The program is currently funded by the President's office along with the Admissions and Financial Aid Office. However, a possible grant from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation will support the expansion of the program. "Much of this will depend on whether we get the grant," said Parker, who added that the program could possibly be expanded to three or four times its current size.
Marx hopes to expand the program to include younger high school students. "We hope over the years to back up so we can start reaching out to students earlier in their high school careers while they are thinking about what courses to take and where to apply to college," he said. "I think ideally we will be working with juniors." However, Marx did warn that targeting students who are too young might hinder Questbridge's ability to differentiate between those students who will truly succeed and those whose grades still might fall.
Parker also expressed hope for the program's future. "I happen to share Marx's vision of the place, and I think Amherst students should be involved in service," he said. "I think Amherst students are very idealistic, as they should be. I don't think I have to create idealism in Amherst students; I think it's already there, and I think it's more how do you tap into that idealism."
Parker emphasized the importance of the College students and their ability to share real-life experiences. "Students in some cases have more credibility than I do," he said. "I'll say something and it's great, but if a student actually says 'I'm going to Amherst College for nothing, and I'm going to graduate in four years and go to med school without one dollar in debt,' that is an amazing statement to be able to make. ... I think there are a lot of low-income students who don't believe or don't understand that this is possible and that's what we've learned through Questbridge."
The chosen mentors realize the impact their participation in the program will have. "I feel so many low-income and underrepresented youth get lost in the application process, especially if they are the first in their families to go to college, or if their schools aren't very supportive," said Claire Rann '08, one of the mentors. "They are at a definite disadvantage in the whole college admissions game, and I feel that I have a great enough understanding of the process that I can help prospective college students who need it."
Keyonte Sutherland '07 is glad to be involved with the program. "I am confident that the program will be a huge success and I am extremely proud that I can say I am a pioneer of the Amherst Telementoring Program," she said.
Reaume explained that the mentors have received training, and that the program will be searching for more students who are interested in getting involved with the program. "Right now the kids have gone through the training, and in the next week and a half we'll be contacting high school students who have said they're interested in the program," said Reaume.
Students interested in the program will soon have an opportunity to participate. "Right now ... it's just getting off the ground. In three weeks it's going to be something. Once we contact the students, we will have a better idea of where we're going," said Reaume.
Student mentors and administrators alike expressed their desire to see the program grow and benefit from the high school students, whether or not they choose to attend the College. "I just hope that I can help as many kids get into great schools and find schools that fit them as well as possible," said Rann. "If we help just one student gain acceptance into a school, whether it be Amherst or not, that changes their life, then we will have succeeded."
Marx agreed with Rann's hope. "I hope this program will be a success and I hope it will grow regardless of whether the College benefits from the program," he said.