2021 In Review

Since our launch in 2015, the Coalition has aimed to help students start early and stress less on their path to college.

Our focus on expanding support for younger students sharpened this year, with a number of new initiatives designed to engage 9th & 10th graders.

It’s just one of the ways that the Coalition’s work extends beyond the point of application, knowing that fulfilling our mission to increase college access will require reaching students long before senior year.

It also requires collaboration. This year, we’ve continued to provide opportunities for our members to come together under our shared mission and our shared priority to make college a reality for all students, especially those whose identities are traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

We’re working now on all the ways we’ll continue to strengthen these efforts in the new year and look forward to sharing more with you then.

In the meantime, please read on for a recap of just some of our highlights from the past year.

Stacey Kostell, Chief Executive Officer — **Stacey Kostell,** Chief Executive Officer

2021 By the Numbers

Registrations for Coalition Events

From virtual fairs to application workshops to panel discussions
Virtual Events for Students

Offered in English and Spanish, featuring Coalition schools
Fee Waivers Granted

Bringing our total to more than 260,000 fee waivers since our launch
Social media Impressions

For Coalition content sharing expert admission advice across our channels
Coalition Virtual Tours Taken

That showcase access, affordability & student success
New CBOs Joined our Registry

Now featuring 500+ community-based organizations
Visits to our Curriculum

New lesson plans for teachers & counselors to help 9th & 10th graders prepare for college
Visits to MyCoalition Counselor

Providing expert advice and guidance on college admissions

3 New Initiatives to Support Younger Students

Exploration Scholarships

$500 awards that encourage 9th & 10th graders to start exploring college.
MEET THE FIRST WINNERS
College-Planning Curriculum

Lesson plans that support teachers and advisers in college-planning with younger students.
EXPLORE THE CURRICULUM
My Story

New tools in MyCoalition created a friendlier entry point for 9th & 10th graders.
LEARN ABOUT MY STORY

STUDENT VOICES

See what students said this year about their experience with the Coalition

“In a time where I had to navigate the college application process without school counselors, the Coalition helped keep me on track and provided incredible resources.”

“By creating a MyCoalition account, I am able to start my college application early and keep track of important successes I want to remember to highlight.”

“College applications are intense and stressful and the Coalition helps save time and simplify things.”

We met Camryn, a high school graduate from the Class of 2021, at a student focus group session, an opportunity to hear directly from first-year college students about their college planning and application experience. Camryn’s first interaction with the Coalition was attending our panel discussion for first-generation students, an event she says helped open her eyes to the opportunities and resources available to students like her. Here, she describes the impact of the Coalition’s easy-to-use fee waiver process.

What would she tell others about the work the Coalition does? “Finding out that there were services out there that believed in me, that wanted to build me up, wanted to help me get through,” she says, “It's life changing.”

Partnerships for College Access

Thanks to a partnership with Full Measure Education, more than 40 Coalition schools launched virtual tours this year focused on access, affordability and student success, helping students explore smart college choices without the expense of traveling to campus.
EXPLORE COALITION VIRTUAL TOURS
In September, we partnered with ATI to host a conversation about best practices in communicating clearly about financial aid. Nearly 100 members attended the presentation and participated in breakout sessions to share ideas and learn from colleagues.
LEARN ABOUT ATI’S RESEARCH
In August, we welcomed Sal Khan and the Schoolhouse.world team for a conversation with enrollment leaders about how this free tutoring platform can be used in college admissions as a way of understanding subject area proficiency and a student’s commitment to service.
LEARN ABOUT SCHOOLHOUSE

Fueling Professional Development

In addition to opportunities to learn from and engage with partner organizations, the Coalition provided a space for admissions and enrollment leaders to come together to share ideas and best practices related to college access and student success. From monthly professional development sessions to an Innovation in Admissions series for chief enrollment officers, the Coalition provided ways for all members to gather and learn from each other.

We also launched our Coalition Ambassadors program, a new professional development opportunity that brings together 16 admissions professionals to work on nationally coordinated and regionally impactful college access work. To date, Coalition Ambassadors have designed and co-hosted college access events, learned about career paths in the enrollment field from national leaders, participated in the Coalition’s Ask Us Anything series on Instagram, and shared their voices and perspectives in the Coalition’s strategic planning process.