CAPS

COLLEGE ACCESS & POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS

excelacademy_caps

About CAPS

At Excel we believe the real finish line for our students is post-secondary success, not a high school diploma. To that end, our seven person College Access and Post Secondary Success (CAPS) team is dedicated to ensuring every Excel student finds success in their chosen productive post-secondary-path. We guide students in the process of aligning their identity with opportunities and then support them to set and achieve their own post-secondary goals. We strive to make sure students are not only well informed about their options but also have the skills, mindsets, and sense of self they will need. 

Students and Families- please use the links to the right to access program resources. 

CAPS Stats
100%

100% of EACHS graduates have an affordable post-secondary option

$9,000

EACHS has distributed over 9,000K in scholarships to graduates

50:1

At Excel we have a ratio of 50 students to 1 College and Career Counselor compared to the American School Counselors Association recommendation of 250 students to counselor

100%

100% of EACHS graduates going to college received a scholarship or grant

Our Program

  • 5-8 Grade

    Excel’s 5-8 College Access Program is designed to support the middle school students across our network to develop college going identities and the non-cognitive skills essential for success in college beginning in 5th grade though the transition to the Excel Academy Charter High School. This work is accomplished through:

    • Yearly opportunities to visit local colleges and interact with Excel alumni. In 5th grade, students take part in age-appropriate tours on college campuses. In 6th grade, students have an authentic learning experience on a college campus, which involves participating in their 6th grade coursework in college lecture halls and classrooms. In 7th grade, students engage in an interactive panel discussion with Excel alumni currently enrolled in college. 8th grade culminates in an overnight experience on a college campus.
    • Learning about and practicing specific non-cognitive skills students will need to be successful including growth mindset, self-efficacy, realistic self-appraisal, and self-management
    • Capstone 8th grade program focused on helping students articulate what is important to them for their future, building the skills they will need for high school such as organization and time management, and providing concrete information about the role of GPA and other factors for college admissions and the financial aid process.

  • 9-10 Grade

    The 9-10 grade program is designed to guide our high school students as they continue to develop and realize their values and identities and the non-cognitive skills essential for success in life beyond high school. All high school students will participate in a weekly class taught by Excel’s CAPS team, beginning in 9th grade and continuing through graduation. These seminar courses will encourage students to develop their identities and values as the foundation for exploring college and other post-secondary options and setting personally relevant goals for their lives. The general themes discussed in this course will be:

    • 9th grade: Identity development, values exploration, support for summer opportunities search, early college awareness
    • 10th grade: Career exploration, short and long term goal setting, support for summer opportunities search, early college awareness
    • 11th grade: Preparation for college admissions testing and college applications
    • 12th grade: College application completion and post-secondary transition planning

  • 11-12 Grade College and Career Counseling

    Excel’s College and Career Counseling team offers individualized support to our 11th and 12th graders and their families as they explore their post-secondary options and make decisions for their lives after high school graduation. Counselors will offer support with both the college application and the financial aid application process, including one-on-one meetings with students and families.

  • Post-Secondary Support

    Excel’s post-secondary support program is designed to ensure that Excel alumni succeed in their respective post-secondary endeavors. For students in two and four-year colleges, the program provides guidance to alumni and families on the matriculation process, financial aid, academic advising, and social-emotional support to ensure persistence and graduation. For students on other productive post-secondary pathways, such as the military and vocational programs, the program provides career guidance and exploration as well as social/emotional support.

    Excel’s two Post-Secondary Support Counselors support students in some of the following ways once they have graduated from high school:

    • Check-ins with students via email/text/phone/facebook at least three times per semester
    • Visits to all local first and second year college students on their campuses
    • Annual assistance to students and families in filing the FAFSA, CSS Profile and all other financial aid documents
    • Annual one-on-one meetings with students to discuss degree progress and future goals
    • Support in resume writing as well as searches for jobs and internships

"We were getting ready to move my son into college and packing up the car when one of our neighbors asked what we were doing. When I explained that we were bringing my son to college, he couldn't believe it. He said 'people from Chelsea don't go to college!' He was shocked. That's what Excel did for my son and for our family."

José Rodriguez Father of Excel Academy 9th grader and an Excel alumnus