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The talent search is a critical process by which the program seeks to identify students who are likely to benefit from membership in YES for PREP. The Talent Search includes three levels of screening...
The process we use in the Talent Search is closely aligned with the process the students will experience as they compete for entrance to highly selective college preparatory schools. Therefore, we ask for the patience and understanding of families involved in the process. It is a comprehensive, competitive, multi-stage process to enable YES for PREP to collect as much information as possible about serious candidates. We believe the selection process will result in a relatively high rate of success for students admitted to the program.
To be eligible, students must:
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be from a minority background
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be currently enrolled in 7th grade
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exhibit high performance capacity in school (at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA)
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be currently enrolled in a public, charter, or home school
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achieve a composite score in the 90th percentile or higher on a national examination.
1. First-level Screening: Students must qualify to apply to YES for PREP. Interested students must meet the eligibility criteria set forth above in addition to taking a qualifying test administered by The YES Foundation®. The student must achieve a composite score, on the administered test, which places him or her in the 90th percentile or higher. The qualifying test is open to all students. We require parents/guardians to submit a registration form which includes a test consent statement.
After test results are received, a letter will be mailed to each family indicating whether the student will advance to the second-level screening for YES for PREP.
2. Second-level Screening: Students who advance to second-level screening are considered strong YES for PREP candidates about whom much more information must be collected. Second level screening includes:
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Testing – Second-level candidates will take additional testing and will complete a writing sample.
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Interviews – Second-level candidates will be required to meet individually with interviewers.
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Teacher Recommendations –Second-level candidates will be required to obtain teacher recommendations. Teachers will be asked to fill out a rating scale and questionnaire regarding the student’s ability, performance, and attitudes.
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Parent/Guardian Questionnaire –Parents/Guardians must complete the questionnaire as thoroughly as possible and include it in the application materials to be promptly returned to The YES Foundation®.
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Cumulative school report card –Second-level candidates will also be asked to submit their most recent cumulative report card.
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Student Application and Questionnaire- Students will be required to respond to questions about their interests and goals, etc.
3. Third-level screening/Finalizing admission decisions: Review of the completed application folders of second-level candidates leads us to admit some students and to deny admission to others, based on YES for PREP eligibility criteria and an assessment of a student’s likelihood of success in the program. Final decisions regarding which students will be selected for the YES for PREP program cannot be made until the application folders of all third-level candidates are complete. If a student’s application file is not complete by the time of our review, we reserve the right to remove that student from consideration as a candidate for admission; therefore it is imperative that all requests for information be responded to on a timely basis.
Upon review of the application file, on a case-by-case basis, families may be asked to provide additional information regarding the student or to clarify any concerns reviewers may have. We hope parents will understand that if we make this additional request, it is because we are trying to reach a fair and informed decision.
YES for PREP has a fixed number of places; therefore we cannot over-enroll. Our objective is to select fifty students annually to enter the YES for PREP Community. Parents of those students admitted to the program are asked to respond within three (3) days from the receipt of an acceptance letter as to whether or not the student and their family have decided to accept the place in the program. For those students accepting places in YES for PREP, typically the first Summer Session will begin in the second week of June and end after the first week in August.
Parents should note that after admissions decisions have been made and families have responded, a meeting will be scheduled with admitted families in order to welcome the new PREP Cohort into the PREP Community and to establish the working relationship which is so important to a student’s success in the program. YES for PREP admissions decisions are Final Decisions. Families admitted to YES for PREP will be required to attend a Welcome Meeting and an Orientation Session before the Summer Session begins.
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