Claremont McKenna College has selected its first group of Posse Scholars in a new affiliation with the New York-based Posse Foundation, a youth leadership program that identifies and recruits student leaders primarily from public high schools to receive full tuition scholarships at top colleges and universities. CMC is the first West Coast college to join The Posse Foundation, whose 19 partner institutions include Bowdoin College, Brandeis University, Bryn Mawr College, Colby College, DePauw University, Grinnell College, Middlebury College, and Vanderbilt University.
"The partnership between Claremont McKenna College and The Posse Foundation is a natural one," said CMC President Pamela Gann. "CMC and Posse share the goal of attracting and educating excellent students, future leaders who are intelligent, competitive, and vibrant."
As the first West Coast partner college, CMC worked closely with the foundation to shape and identify the cadre of potential Posse Scholars, based on academics, leadership skills, and the potential to thrive in a highly competitive academic environment. Applications were narrowed to a finalist group of 24, from which 10 Posse Scholars were admitted to CMC. President Gann and Richard Vos, vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, were among CMC leaders who interviewed each candidate during final selections on Dec. 9 in Los Angeles. The students were announced and honored at an awards ceremony Thursday, Dec. 18, in Los Angeles.
The 10 Posse Scholars admitted to CMC are from the following Los Angeles area high schools: Franklin, Bishop Montgomery, Animo Leadership Magnet Charter, North Hollywood Highly Gifted Magnet, North Hollywood, El Camino Real, James Monroe Law and Government Magnet, Palisades Charter, Cate, and Bravo Medical Magnet. They represent the student leaders sought-after by CMC, with excellent academic records, more than half in Advanced Placement curriculum, and extensive leadership positions in a wide range of school and community activities, including:
Student body president
President, Friday Night Live (FNL) promoting substance-free activities
President, Jewish Student Union
Vice president, Gay/Straight Alliance
Business manager, yearbook
Student Council traveling student coordinator
Senior Council member and Peer Counselor
Christian Student Union
Upward Bound
Works after school in UCLA laboratory studying Alzheimer's disease.
Leads effort to raise money to aid victims of suicide bombers in Israel.
Active in Free The Children, sponsoring a school in Nicaragua.
Organized Teacher Appreciation Week and Custodian Appreciation days.
Leader, AP test review group
Volunteer, foster home weekly visit program
Member, UCLA Anderson School of Business LEAD program
Active in theater, choir, band
After admission to CMC and the other participating colleges and universities, the Posse Scholars undergo an intensive, eight-month mentoring program to prepare them for the rigorous academic life of a top-tier institution. Since its inception, more than 90% of the 720 Posse Scholars have graduated or are currently in college. In addition to Los Angeles, its newest area, The Posse Foundation also works with urban public high schools in New York, Boston, and Chicago, with plans for expansion to Washington, D.C.
Claremont McKenna College is a highly selective, independent liberal arts college educating leaders in business, government, and the professions. A member of The Claremont Colleges, CMC is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the nation, 12th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and enrolls 1,000 students.