President Hunter Rawlings talks with freshman Chad Higgins, left, ACE program "graduate" from Groton High School and Michelle Hughes, ACE liaison and Groton High counselor, at a recent breakfast meeting at the Statler Hotel to update area school officials on the status of the program. Robert Barker/University Photography
Linnea Carter, Chad Higgins, Desiree Snyder and Sam Sibley say a unique program that links 14 school districts with four local colleges and universities helped put them a step ahead of other students as they started their freshman year at Cornell this fall.
Carter, Higgins, Snyder, Sibley and 86 others who were admitted to colleges and universities across the nation this year were members of the first graduating class of ACE, or Access to College Education, a program initiated by Cornell, Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland and Tompkins Cortland Community College. The program aims to help academically capable high school students overcome barriers to college education.
Higgins, a graduate of Groton High School, said, "ACE was really helpful. It gave me that little extra understanding of what college is all about."
Carter, a Tully High School graduate, agreed. "It introduced me to college life. I wish everyone could do it. I felt like when I first came here I was a step ahead of the other freshmen. Like being able to talk to your professors and things. They don't teach you that stuff in high school." ACE helped her hone other skills like time management, communications, and writing and study skills, she added.
Carter, Higgins and Snyder say they were doing well in school and were considering college when they volunteered for the new program at the end of eighth grade. But typically, students facing personal, family, academic or financial barriers to higher education are nominated to the program by teachers, school counselors and parents.
Snyder, also a graduate of Groton High School, summed it up this way: "If you are not planning on going to college, ACE can also help you. Most people do not want to spend their entire lives working for low wages. If you don't try to do your best and seek help now, that will most likely be your fate. ACE can help you with grades if that is your major obstacle. If money is a problem, ACE people can show you how to find scholarships. Overall, ACE gets you thinking about your future, and once you have an idea of what you want, ACE will help you achieve it."
The four colleges pledge guaranteed admission, to at least one of the four institutions, to students who successfully complete the program throughout their high school years and receive an ACE recommendation. And while students also receive special consideration for admission to all four institutions, the idea is not to funnel them into the four institutions, but rather to help make the idea of higher education anywhere a reality for them and their families.
"The program is a true community partnership engaging faculty, staff and families from the schools in our region, providing support and encouragement for students and families who previously had not seen college as a viable option," said Katherine Doob, director of the Public Service Center at Cornell and a member of the ACE operating committee since its founding in 1989.
"ACE empowers the students and families, giving them the guidance they need to negotiate a sometimes intimidating process in a supportive, user-friendly environment. It gives back to our community, by developing a well-educated population and opening doors to a future that some young people did not see in their reach."
Michele Hughes, a counselor at Groton High and ACE liaison, echoes support for the program. "It's terrific because it supports everything I do in my job. There are too few options out there if you don't continue your education."
ACE offers students access to financial aid information and resources, as well as specific events and programs on the campuses and in the schools. These programs provide skills training, motivation and academic support for students; support and training for ACE families; access to college resources; college student mentors; college activities, including campus tours, theater presentations, lectures and sporting events; regional institutes and conferences; and help in securing financial aid.
"I enjoyed ACE because I got a better picture of what college is really like," Snyder said. "For example, there were a lot of field trips to colleges, and many times members could ask college students what college is really like. That is different than receiving an adult perspective or an official perspective from the university itself."
A student usually enters the ACE program at the end of eighth grade on the recommendation of the school district's teachers and guidance counselors. In exchange for the ACE recommendation, promise of guaranteed special admission consideration at the four institutions and admission to one upon successful completion of the program, students and their parents sign a commitment letter. The student promises to complete a high school college prep program, maintain at least a B average and participate in ACE programs and activities.
"The program has proved very successful, statistically as well as anecdotally," said Joelle Zimmerman, ACE coordinator. Of the 123 ACE seniors in the first graduating class, 33 percent received the ACE recommendation. Moreover, 90 percent of those receiving the recommendation have been accepted to one or more colleges. Of those, 10 will be attending an ACE institution.
ACE is unique in several ways, Zimmerman pointed out. First, she noted, it's a partnership between four very different kinds of higher education institutions that offer ACE participants a variety of perspectives and a range of options in higher education: an Ivy League research university; a comprehensive private college; a state college of arts and sciences; and a two-year community college.
Also, she said, it's a grassroots investment in the local communities, in local youths and their families. Financial support comes in dollars and services from the four colleges, and the $80,000 annual budget serves approximately 800 students.
Finally, she added, parent involvement is required. Parents are offered workshops on financial aid, admissions and parenting as well as a monthly parent support group.
For the Carters, it's definitely a family affair. Linnea's younger sister, Kristen, is now participating in ACE and her mother, Linda Anderson-Carter, is active in the program as well.
"I just think the ACE program is wonderful," she said, "not only for my two daughters, but for me, also."