Basically POSSE is looking for a student who can make fit in one of their college partners. They don’t want the A student who is not enthusiastic or a student who is not even an A student and is not even trying their best to succeed in POSSE. My counselor told me that POSSE is looking for PERSONALITY. They want someone who is friendly and is not shy to speak out loud and be themselves.
I’m still having a hard time understanding why such a student (particularly one in the “highest income bracket”) would be “overlooked” otherwise…from the POSSE website:“The Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes.”
A high income applicant can still be first generation college student, or from a rural area where not many go to college. It might be a student who didn’t think he could get admitted to Rice or Vandy or Emery because of a low score or gpa. You can have potential without having had a chance to shine yet.
I would like to thank everyone for their kind responses and helpful advice. Although quite overdue, I had overturned my decision the day after this post was made. I accepted the offer, and I am VERY excited that I am a posse finalist. I reconsidered heavily (my doubts stemmed from the fact that I had grown up a city boy, and that I never imagined myself elsewhere. Realistically, I don’t think my parents can afford to send me elsewhere either.
@ilovepeoplew99 good luck to you!
Congrats, OP! Good luck to you! Colby is an excellent school; I think you’ll like it. Often we imagine ourselves in one kind of setting and find that we can thrive in many.
I don’t think Posse has hardcore income guidelines, but I do think the program is intended for low-income and/or students of color. The original story behind the formation of Posse was a young man who went off to an elite college from a disadvantaged background and dropped out within a year or two. When asked why, he said he never would have dropped out if he had had his posse with him - indicating the need for social support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to get through a world that is quite alien to them in many ways. Also, these are the first two of three goals of Posse:
To expand the pool from which top colleges and universities can recruit outstanding young leaders from diverse backgrounds.
To help these institutions build more interactive campus environments so that they can become more welcoming institutions for people from all backgrounds.
So although Posse isn’t explicit and doesn’t require any specific income or racial/ethnic background, their goals definitely revolve around increasing diversity in elite colleges (and college graduates in general). Most of the Posse scholars I worked with when I volunteered for the program were students of color and low-income.
It’s better to be a mule than a donkey. I think that’s the saying in Waterville. Great opportunity! You chose well. LIfe is all about grabbing opportunities that come your way. What a great opportunity! Have some blueberry ice cream for me. You’re in for a fabulous adventure!! So happy for you! 