Scarsdale Grads Celebrate Let's Get Ready Grads

Scarsdale residents Jordan Elkins, Griffin Flagg, Ben Fife, Ian Rabin, and David Wiesenfeld volunteered their time once a week as coaches and mentors in Let's Get Ready's White Plains summer program, while Matthew Yaspan, Mallory Minster, John Mermelstein and Jessica Somekh volunteered for the organization's Port Chester program .

Every summer since 2000, roughly 300 low-income high school students have been gathering twice a week at locations in communities throughout Westchester and Southern Connecticut to receive free SAT instruction and college admissions counseling. A free program with roots in Westchester County, Let's Get Ready (www.letsgetready.org) provides students with 30 hours of intensive instruction on math, critical reading, and writing skills, guides them through the college application process and supports them through college.

This summer local programs were held in Port Chester, White Plains, New Rochelle, Yonkers, Sleepy Hollow, Stamford, Ct., and Norwalk, Ct.

Let's Get Ready is the most cost-effective and replicable SAT and college prep program available to low-income high school students today. The organization is able to offer its program at no cost to its participants because college students who are recruited and trained by the organization serve as the tutors and coaches in the program. These collegiate volunteers serve as mentors and provide the inspiration and confidence that high school students need to succeed. And it is working! Participants increase their scores on average by 110 points and 93% of them are admitted to and attend college each year.

EVENTS: Graduation Ceremonies:

WHEN And WHERE: August 15th at 7:30pm at Port Chester Carver Center, 400 Westchester Ave., Port Chester, NY.

WHEN And WHERE: August 15th at 8:00pm Berkeley College, Theater Room 316B, 99 Church St., White Plains, NY

CONTACTS: Brian Dever: 612-414-5321 –Event (bdever@letsgetready.org)

Lauri Novick: 646-808-2766-Program (lnovick@letsgetready.org)

Let's Get Ready programs are built upon collaborations with community organizations and local high schools. Summer sessions in Stamford, Greenwich and Westchester County began in June and were staffed by college student recruits who returned home to Connecticut and Westchester for the summer. Students were divided into groups based on their performance on the test. They were given three diagnostic SAT tests for practice prior to taking the exam to gauge their progress and also received 15 hours of comprehensive information and guidance regarding college selection, applications, financial aid and scholarships.

Let's Get Ready operates programs in partnership with 34 prestigious colleges and universities in the Northeast, in the fall and spring, and with many communities between New Jersey and Maine over the summer.