By Tatiana Poladko News about the college admissions scandal this week shattered the romantic picture many hold about college admissions. We want to believe the process is fair and merit-based. We are fine with unadulterated competition for spots at selective colleges. But it is the lengths some families are willing to go —photoshopped pictures, $1.2 … Continue reading While some bribe, low-income students hurdle their way to higher education
What does a kid do when her elite college dreams are being suffocated by a school system best suited to stifle mobility? How does she erase the seemingly indelible signs of inequitable schooling and resources from her record and etch her name on the registries of colleges meant for the affluent? She cheats. But she … Continue reading How a low-income Delaware student found the “cheat code” to top college admissions
Today, a group of high school students from TeenSHARP (a college prep organization I co-founded in 2009) came to TeenSHARP's office during their winter break for Day 1 of a 3-day "study extravaganza." They spent six hours completing homework, submitting applications to prestigious enrichment opportunities, and getting ahead on their studies before they return to … Continue reading An Education System that Honors our Students in 2017
By Atnre Alleyne and Tatiana Poladko It's back to school time and we're especially excited about all the students who are embarking on their first semester of college (especially our TeenSHARPies!). While students' hard work and rigorous preparation in high school will help them excel in these new environments, we also understand how important strong advising … Continue reading Tips for the First Weeks of College
This post is adapted from a speech I delivered to students at the University of Delaware Political Science and International Relations Convocation in May 2015. I’m the last of my mother’s 5 kids, she had me at 40 years old, and she named me Atnreakn Siahyonkron Babatunde Alleyne. Atnreakn is an ancient Egyptian name derived … Continue reading All Who Can’t Hear Must Feel
By Tatiana Poladko and Atnre Alleyne There will be winners and losers this summer. And not just during the Olympic Games. As sure as ice cream trucks will bring joy to neighborhoods this summer, this seemingly-innocuous season brings learning loss and a wider academic gap for a certain set of students. Unbeknownst to many of … Continue reading The Kids Who Win the Summer
TeenSHARP student Josh (a rising sophomore at William Penn High School in Colonial School District) recently learned that he was accepted into the Summer Music Technology (SMT) program at Drexel University! The week-long SMT program at Drexel is an innovative educational experience for high school students. The goal of SMT is to introduce students to … Continue reading Student Spotlight: Josh
