CHICAGO SCHOLARS SELECTS DIVERSE GROUP OF MORE THAN 550 RISING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS FOR CLASS OF 2027

 CHICAGO SCHOLARS SELECTS DIVERSE GROUP OF MORE
THAN 550 RISING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS FOR CLASS OF 2027

CHICAGO – Leading youth development nonprofit Chicago
Scholars has welcomed more than 550 rising Chicago high school
seniors to the organization’s Class of 2027. The class, which is
made up of academically ambitious first-generation and/or low
income students, will take part in Chicago Scholars’ seven-year
program as they navigate the transition to college and beyond.

The Class of 2027 was selected from a pool of nearly 1,100
applicants who represented 107 high schools in 71 Chicago-area
communities. Candidates took part in a rigorous application process, which included live interviews conducted by more than 300 volunteers, including business leaders, community partners and Chicago Scholars alumni. Accepted students had an average GPA of 3.66. The Class of 2027 is one of Chicago Scholars’ most diverse to date. 78% of the students will be first-generation college students, 82% come from under-resourced communities and 95% are people of color.

“At Chicago Scholars, we emphasize the importance of racial justice, equity, accessibility, diversity and inclusion (READI) work to ensure the success of our outcomes,” said Jeffery Beckham Jr., CEO of Chicago Scholars. “With these values at the forefront of our recruitment process, we are thrilled to welcome this new class of bright, ambitious, deserving Scholars into our Chicago Scholar family.”

The students will also take part in Chicago Scholars’ Onsite College and Leadership Forum this fall, where admissions representatives from nearly 200 colleges and universities will conduct more than 5,000 admission interviews and award same-day acceptances and financial aid. At Onsite 2021, Scholars received more than 750 offers of admissions and over $30 million in scholarships.

Earlier this year, Chicago Scholars announced a new partnership
with Chapin Hall at University of Chicago that will assess the impact the organization has on Scholars. Throughout the multi-year trial, 1,100 students from under-resourced and underrepresented communities will participate in the study to measure college enrollment and student persistence during college and the quality of colleges that students enroll in and each college’s track record for graduating similar students. The organization also partners with the CTA and CPS for their “CTA Elevating Futures Scholarship Fund,” which launched in 2020.

Members of the incoming class started the program on Saturday,
June 11, with a Virtual New Scholar Orientation, kicking off the seven-year program with an introduction to the mentorship program, peer cohorts and more. For more information on programs and/or to get involved, visit www.chicagoscholars.org.

For more information, visit www.chicagoscholars.org.

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