HISD’s ground-breaking EMERGE program is expanding to all high school campuses this year, and motivated members of the Class of 2018 (currently sophomores) are encouraged to apply.

EMERGE connects high-performing students from underserved backgrounds with the resources needed to apply, attend, and graduate from the nation’s top-tier colleges and universities, which provide high levels of support as well as competitive financial aid and scholarships. Students who are selected to be in EMERGE receive after-school advising at their schools on the college preparation and financial aid application processes, a full-length SAT preparation course, and an out-of-state summer experience at a top-tier university.

Past EMERGE Fellows currently attend top-tier colleges and universities across the country, including Oberlin, Rice, Harvard, Brandeis, and many others. Any current HISD sophomore is welcome to apply, and there are no minimum GPA or test score requirements. Because of high demand and limited space in the program, the application process is extremely competitive. Most EMERGE Fellows have a history of strong academic performance in their classes, are eager and able to commit to additional assignments for EMERGE, and are interested in applying to top-tier institutions across the country.

For more information, please visit the EMERGE website or access the application here. Teachers and school administrators may also nominate students for the program here. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the final deadline is Oct. 31, 2015, 11:59 p.m. CST.