
Now that you’re job searching, the college application process is probably long forgotten. There are some similarities in the processes, but applying to college is much more structured and standardized than applying for a job. Structure and standardization doesn’t mean easy. Applying to college can be daunting for even the most well groomed students who have had access to best tutors, college counselors, and coaches that money can buy. Talented students who come from low-income families face the same challenges, but they often face them alone without the guidance of people who have been through the process before. The Quest Scholars Program offers two programs, QuestLeadership and QuestBridge, to help high-achievieng, underserved students get into in some of the country’s top colleges and universities. Continue reading about Quest Scholars Program…

The day of the mile run was always my least favorite in elementary school. As an overweight asthmatic, I dreaded the experience because it was both painful and humiliating. Getting lapped isn’t fun. By middle school I realized that asthma was a good enough excuse to get out of the mile run. In high school the mile run was replaced by suicides in basketball practice - same pain and humiliation, but in 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes (Yes, I’m exaggerating. No, I wasn’t THAT slow.). At 23 I’m finally starting to almost, kind of enjoy running. I figure that anything that makes my body feel as awful as it does after running must be good for me. The people at the New York Road Runners Foundation probably disagree with me about how running feels, but I’m pretty sure that they agree with me about running’s health benefits. That’s why they’re working hard to build “community-based running programs which enhance physical heath, emotional well-being and personal achievement within underserved populations throughout New York City.” Continue reading about New York Road Runners Foundation…

To many people squash is a type of fruit, but for those of privilege it is a sport played at your private racquet club. Growing up in Connecticut, I was quite familiar with the phenomenon of rich parents’ forcing their children to play squash in hopes that the kid will get recruited to play in college. The truth is that squash isn’t nearly as easy of an in to the Ivy League as people expect it to be, but that hasn’t stopped parents from signing their kids up. StreetSquash is a non-profit organization that also sees squash as a way to better the futures of young people, but in a very different way. They make squash more accessible to inner-city youths while combining “academic tutoring with squash instruction, community service, and one-on-one mentoring.” Continue reading about StreetSquash…
You were always a great student. School always came easy to you. It was like a game, and you knew how to beat it every time. In fact, you kind of actually enjoyed long nights in the library. Exams were fun - you loved filling in those bubbles with your No. 2 pencil. You’ve been at it for 17 years (maybe a few less if you were really good) and now it’s almost over. You’re worried that your finely tuned school skills may not translate into a real world job. You’re thinking about grad school, but six figures is a lot to pay for an extra few years of security. Maybe you can get a PhD after that… Continue reading about InsideTrack…