Posse Scholarship: Transforming Higher Education through Leadership
Are you interested in applying for Posse Scholarship? Posse Scholarship identifies and recruits talented students from diverse backgrounds and provides them with the support they need to succeed in college.
In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of diversity in higher education.
However, despite efforts to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in colleges and universities, progress has been slow.
This is where the Posse Scholarship comes in. Founded in 1989, in this article we will explore the Posse Scholarship, its history, and its impact on higher education.
History of the Posse Scholarship
The Posse Scholarship was founded in 1989 by Deborah Bial, who was a doctoral student at Harvard University at the time.
Bill noticed that talented students from underrepresented backgrounds often struggled to succeed in college, even when they were admitted to prestigious institutions.
She realized that these students needed not only academic support but also a supportive community to help them navigate the challenges of college life.
Bial’s solution was to create a “posse” of students from diverse backgrounds who would attend college together, providing each other with emotional and academic support.
The first Posse cohort consisted of ten students from New York City who attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Today, the scholarship has expanded to include more than 60 partner colleges and universities across the United States and has awarded over $1.4 billion in scholarships to more than 10,000 students.
The Posse Scholarship Model
The scholarship uses a unique model to identify and recruit talented students from diverse backgrounds.
Each year, the Posse Foundation partners with public high schools and community-based organizations in urban areas across the United States to identify potential Posse Scholars.
Students are nominated by their high school counselors or community leaders and are then put through a rigorous selection process that includes multiple interviews and group dynamic exercises.
Once selected, Posse Scholars receive a full-tuition scholarship to one of the Posse Foundation’s partner colleges or universities.
However, the scholarship is just one aspect of the Posse model. Each Posse cohort consists of 10-12 students who attend college together as a “posse.”
This supportive community provides Posse Scholars with the emotional and academic support they need to succeed in college.
Posse Scholars also participate in a pre-collegiate training program that prepares them for the academic and social challenges of college life.
This training includes workshops on leadership, team-building, and intercultural communication.
Posse Scholars also participate in a four-day retreat before starting college.
They bond with their posse members and learn more about the college or university they will be attending.
Impact of the Posse Scholarship
The scholarship has had a transformative impact on higher education in the United States.
By identifying and recruiting talented students from underrepresented backgrounds, the Posse Scholarship has increased the diversity of the student body at partner colleges and universities.
This has not only created a more inclusive learning environment but has also prepared students for leadership roles in an increasingly diverse society.
Posse Scholars have also achieved impressive academic and professional success.
According to the Posse Foundation, 90% of Posse Scholars graduate from college, which is significantly higher than the national average for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Posse Scholars have gone on to successful careers in a variety of fields, including business, law, medicine, and the arts.
The Posse Scholarship has also inspired other organizations to adopt similar models.
For example, the Dell Scholars Program and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation both use a cohort model to support talented students from underrepresented backgrounds.
The scholarship has revolutionized how we think about diversity and inclusion in higher education.
By providing talented students from underrepresented backgrounds with the support they need to succeed in college.
