Schenectady Smart Scholars Early College High School is a partnership between the State University of New York (SUNY), Schenectady County Community College (SCCC) and Schenectady High School (SHS) with the intent to establish a collaborative learning andteaching environment for 120 incoming 9th graders. All partners are committed to facilitating positive, transformational changes which provide for a more successful and wide reaching program for a target student population which is traditionally underrepresented in college.

Click here to view a brochure on Schenectady Smart Scholars Early College High School.

THE PURPOSE:

• To increase high school graduation rates;
• To increase the number of student who complete postsecondary credential/degree;
• To address needs of students from populations traditionally underrepresented in college;
• To help close our nation’s student achievement gap; and
• To do all this at no additional cost to the student or their family.

THE GOAL:
Each student enrolled in Smart Scholars will graduate high school with a Regents Diploma and will successfully transition into college with at least 20 credit hours earned and transferred.

CRITERIA FOR APPLICATION:

• Student must be currently enrolled in the 8th grade in Schenectady City School District and being considered eligible for the 9th grade during the 2011-2012 academic year;
• Student must be identified as belonging to a population that has historically not had access to or success in higher education (i.e., minority, potential first generation college student; from a single parent household or in foster care, etc…);
• Student must demonstrate academic performance for 7th and 8th grade that is higher than 65%;
• Student experiences financial constraints or burdens (i.e., receives free and reduced lunches, low family income, recent family income changes, considered economically disadvantaged, etc…);
• Student must have successfully completed the application for admission; submitted two (2) letters of recommendation completed by employees of the Schenectady City School District, and participated in an intake interview.

Schenectady Smart Scholars Early College High School Directions for Applying for Admission

Students interested in applying for admission to the Schenectady Smart Scholars Early College High School must follow these steps in order to be considered.

STEP 1.     Complete the Application for Admission for September 2011. Have your parent/guardian sign the application and the Consent for Release of Information to third Parties form.

STEP 2.     Provide the Student Recommendation Form to two (2) employees of the Schenectady City School District who you believe know you well enough and could assess your potential to be successful in this school.
These individuals must send completed Recommendation Forms to Schenectady High School; c/o Valerie Smith at the address noted below.

STEP 3.     Before Friday, April 8, 2011, submit your completed application and Consent form to either your School Guidance Counselor or to Schenectady High School at this address:

STEP 4.      Beginning in March 2011, interviews will be held with all applicants who have completed the application process; thus making it best to submit your application earlier than the deadline date for and early admission.

STEP 5.     Valerie Smith will contact all applicants to arrange an interview. Interviews will be scheduled after application is received. All questions or concerns can be referred to Valerie Smith, Team Leader at:
Phone number: 925-0282
E-mail address: smithv@schenectady.k12.ny.us