College Success
Our services go beyond access to include college success and career readiness. After LUCA Scholars make their college decisions and graduate from high school, they enroll in our College Success program. Launched in 2017 – thanks to the very generous support of Impact100 Westchester – the College Success program provides ongoing guidance to Scholars during their college years to ensure they graduate on time and career-ready with little to no debt.
We ease a Scholar’s transition into college and support them through graduation, providing advice on everything from financial aid and scheduling to stress management. Our team also provides ongoing financial aid advising and family support throughout their college years.
College Transition Workshops
Prepare Scholars for the realities of campus life by offering strategies to succeed. Topics include time management and study skills, an overview of campus offices and resources, and discussions about diversity and belonging. Scholars also receive dorm bundles or commuter kits to ensure they have necessities for the school year.
College Success Workshops
Take place virtually during the school year and in person over school breaks to ensure that Scholars remain in college and stay on track to graduate. Workshops focus on skills needed to adapt to the college experience including balancing priorities, campus involvement, staying connected, and managing self-care.
“The self-care workshop was great. It allowed me to really take a breath and be in the moment. I was so happy to see you all! Thank you for your endless support!”
Pilar, NYU ’23
“Deal” Checkins
In addition, LUCA conducts quarterly check-ins with college Scholars. Most often, first-generation, low-income
students drop out for reasons other than academics. The College Success team adopted the “DEAL” (Degree,
Employability, Affordability, and Life) check-in model to ensure we address the full spectrum of
Scholar needs and provide targeted support as necessary.
Parent Workshops
Quarterly workshops engage families in the college process and throughout their children’s college years. With the support of a volunteer facilitator, who is an LCSW and Psychotherapist, parents connect with each other and share advice on how to best help their children reach their goals.
“Thank God LUCA came into our lives. We are thankful for all of the amazing, dedicated, and loving staff and Coaches – people who believe that our sons and daughters have a lot to contribute to our communities. At LUCA, we have found that sense of family and community. Thank you for believing in our children, for standing by them and guiding them in such an important step in their lives!”
Martha, Mother of a Scholar
The Future Workforce
Career-readiness workshops focus on professional development and networking skills, engaging students on topics such as the transition into the workplace, resume writing, interview skills, professional etiquette, and other critical soft skills that first-generation students may not be exposed to or learn at home.
Scholar Matriculation List
Our Scholars are achieving their dreams at some of the top colleges and universities nationwide!
Adelphi University
Allegheny College
American University
Amherst College
Babson College
Barnard College
Bates College
Bentley University
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brigham Young University
Brown University
Bucknell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Chapman University
University of Chicago
Clark University
Clarkson University
College of Mount Saint Vincent
Columbia University
Concordia College
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
CUNY Baruch
CUNY The City College
CUNY Hunter
CUNY John Jay
CUNY Lehman
Dartmouth College
University of Delaware
Dickinson College
Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern University
Elmira University
Elon University
Embry Riddle University
Emerson College
Emory University
Fairfield University
Florida Atlantic University
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
Georgetown University
George Washington University
University of Hartford
Hartwick College
Harvard University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Iona University
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson & Wales University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Manhattan University
Manhattanville University
Marist College
University of Maryland
Marywood University
Mercy University
Middlebury College
Mount Holyoke College
Muhlenberg College
Nazareth College
University of New Haven
New York Institute of Technology
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Pace University
Penn State University
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rice University
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
Rochester Institute of Technology
Sacred Heart University
Saint John’s University
Saint Lawrence University
Savannah College of Art & Design
Scranton University
Siena College
Skimore College
Stanford University
SUNY Albany
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Buffalo State
SUNY Cortland
SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Oneonta
SUNY Polytech
SUNY Potsdam
SUNY Purchase
SUNY Stony Brook
SUNY Westchester
Syracuse University
Tufts University
Union College
University of Southern California
Vassar College
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
Villanova University
University of Virginia
Wesleyan University
Yale University