Program areas at LEDA
Leda scholars programaspects of Leadership summer institute: cohort 19 attended the aspects of Leadership summer institute in-person at princeton university from june 24 through july 29. This year's summer institute built on the success of several changes introduced last year, including A five-week program and the hire of A health director to manage covid-19 procedures and oversee other medical issues. Leda scholars received writing instruction, Leadership development, test preparation, college guidance, and multiple community building activities. The institute also featured in-person presentations by admissions representatives from several colleges and universities, including college campus visits. (con't on sch o)the summer institute develops scholars' Leadership skills, strengthens academic writing and critical thinking skills, builds A lasting scholar community, and prepares scholars to apply to highly selective colleges. Recruitment and admission:in fiscal year 2023, leda's recruitment and admissions team carefully reviewed more than 1,050 applications sourced from outreach to more than 4,100 high schools nationwide. Ultimately, leda interviewed 176 finalists before admitting 102 new leda scholars as members of cohort 19. These scholars come from 37 u.s. states and territories, and 86% are first generation college students. 64% identify as female, 34% as male, and 2% as nonbinary. Cohort 19's households have an average income of $36,200 and 62 speak A non-english language at home, representing at least 19 distinct languages. One in six members of cohort 19 were born outside the us.college guidance:leda scholars received in-depth advising on the college application process starting at summer institute and continuing through the academic year. Leda staff provided one-on-one counseling sessions with scholars, individualized recommendation letters, financial aid and scholarship application assistance, and support with completing college essays. 97% of cohort 18 scholars were admitted to at least one of the top 100 colleges in the us, including 55% who were admitted to an ivy, stanford, or mit. College success:over the course of fiscal year 2023, leda's college success program provided supplemental academic advising and social-emotional counseling support to first year college students, returning students, and graduating seniors in college. Leda also shared Leadership development opportunities and college completion resources, provided emergency grant assistance and post-graduate planning support, organized community-building activities, and supported first-year scholars with peer mentoring support services. Staff conducted 642 meetings during the academic years; hosted 14 campus visits which included community building and networking components; and leda's peer mentor program has one of its most successful years yet, with 174 peer mentor check ins for the year. As in past years, college success also offered specialized support for graduating seniors, helping them plan for either graduate school or entering the workforce, with referrals to leda's career and alumni services team and local campus resources as appropriate.
Leda career and alumni servicesin fiscal year 2023, leda embarked on the fifth year of its current Leadership development model by continuing the leda career network, including A flagship five-day career institute. Leda's career network prepares high-achieving, low-income undergraduate students for future Leadership roles in their professional pursuits, including A deeper and more targeted focus on career exploration, professional development, and career coaching. In fy 2023, the leda career institute returned to nyu law for five-days of in-person instruction, skills building, networking, and corporate partner site visits. Leda accepted over 101 career fellows, with 91% identifying as students of color and 84% identifying as first-generation college students, (con't on sch o)representing 42 colleges. Leda also worked with more than 20 employer partners to offer students access to internship and career opportunities. In fy 2023, leda also launched A specialized post-graduate program designed to prepare high achieving, under-resourced students to apply to and succeed in top tier law schools. Leda legal participants receive intensive preparation for law school, including rigorous lsat preparation provided by advantage testing and additional support from leda in developing their applications. Law school partners lead workshops and academic- and career-focused panels for the cohort throughout the eight-month program.in its first year, program participants: -completed 54 hours of lsat prep curriculum; -took 10 full practice lsat exams by the end of may; -attended 5 panels devoted to career exploration and pathways in law; -attended 3 partner school workshops; -attended A six-hour long admissions fair with representatives from 12 law schools (California western school of law, columbia law school, duke university school of law, harvard law school, northwestern pritzker school of law, nyu school of law, stanford law school, the university of Texas at austin school of law, uc berkeley school of law, ucla law, university of chicago law school, and yale law school) -spent 20+ hours in group writing workshops and law school support sessions; -and connected with 30+ volunteer mentors.