This is the most academically rigorous of the pathways and prepares young people from public and private schools for admission to very selective colleges. The schools the students attend have limited resources, and therefore cannot fully tap the potential of talented youth. The students who enroll in this pathway are capable of undertaking the most challenging academic work. I-LEAD offers these students the assistance their schools cannot and provides a comprehensive set of educational programs to meet their cognitive, social and personal needs. Students begin the I-LEAD experience the summer before their sophomore year and remain through graduation. Throughout the 3 1/2 years the students are part of a challenging and nurturing learning environment where they develop their gifts and talents. During the school year, they participate in mandatory after school, Saturday, and college prep classes. Through their participation in I-LEAD, students develop higher expectations of themselves, increase their ability and motivation to attend competitive colleges, and expand their horizons beyond what they had ever imagined possible. The success of the program is reflected in the success of the students. To date, 100% of the students have been admitted to college, and an exceptional 95% percent have been admitted to one of the 173 colleges and universities considered to be "highly" and "most" competitive (based on Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, 2005). Further, 18% of the students have been accepted at Ivy League schools (e.g. Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and Cornell).
This is the most academically rigorous of the pathways and prepares young people from public and private schools for admission to very selective colleges. The schools the students attend have limited resources, and therefore cannot fully tap the potential of talented youth. The students who enroll in this pathway are capable of undertaking the most challenging academic work. I-LEAD offers these students the assistance their schools cannot and provides a comprehensive set of educational programs to meet their cognitive, social and personal needs. Students begin the I-LEAD experience the summer before their sophomore year and remain through graduation. Throughout the 3 1/2 years the students are part of a challenging and nurturing learning environment where they develop their gifts and talents. During the school year, they participate in mandatory after school, Saturday, and college prep classes. Through their participation in I-LEAD, students develop higher expectations of themselves, increase their ability and motivation to attend competitive colleges, and expand their horizons beyond what they had ever imagined possible. The success of the program is reflected in the success of the students. To date, 100% of the students have been admitted to college, and an exceptional 95% percent have been admitted to one of the 173 colleges and universities considered to be "highly" and "most" competitive (based on Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, 2005). Further, 18% of the students have been accepted at Ivy League schools (e.g. Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and Cornell).