The Amistad Academy Alumni Program aims to support alumni through academic and college counseling to ensure that college acceptance remains an attainable and real option. The Alumni Program team coaches and guides students and their families through the college application, financial aid and matriculation processes, and collaborates with high school guidance and college counselors to share information and advocate on behalf of our alumni. For some of our alumni, the program’s college counseling acts as a supplement to support provided by their high schools, but for others our support is their principal resource.

The Alumni Program’s official college counseling process begins in the spring of junior year with a Junior Class Retreat. At the retreat, alumni participate in team-building activities to practice problem-solving and foster community. In addition, students and parents are introduced to the college process and informed of the support mechanisms available through the Alumni Program. The Alumni Program offers the following academic support and college counseling opportunities:

SAT and College Preparation Courses

Combined SAT and college preparation classes prepare alumni for both the SAT and the college admissions process. While many high schools offer similar classes or workshops, we consider ours to be more intensive. SAT classes begin in the spring of junior year and continue through the fall of senior year. Classes are facilitated by trained test-prep professionals and are coupled with college application work-time led by the Alumni Program team. College preparation sessions include structured study halls, college application completion and essay coaching, interviewing skills, applying for financial aid and scholarships, and time management.

Academic and College Counseling

We provide one-on-one counseling on an as-needed basis to ensure that the college application and admissions process moves forward in a timely manner for our alumni. These individual counseling sessions are especially important for alumni who cannot attend the SAT/college preparation classes due to school, family or community commitments.

College Visits

It is difficult to know if a college is the right fit from just a website or brochure. Visiting a college campus is crucial in determining what you do or do not like in a college. In addition to a large April college tour, the Alumni Program conducts many smaller college visits throughout the region, based on interest and competitiveness. The Alumni Program has assisted students in visiting the following distant campuses:

• Maryland and Washington, DC, Area: Howard University, American University, Georgetown University, University of Maryland and Morgan State University
• North Carolina: University of North Carolina, Duke University, North Carolina A&T, Bennet College, St. Augustine's College and Elon University
• Ohio: Dennison University, Ohio State University, Wilberforce University, University of Dayton and Central State University
• Virginia: Virginia Union University, Norfolk State University, Virginia Commonwealth and Virginia Wesleyan

Pre-College Retreat

The pre-college retreat takes place at the University of New Haven and provides rising high school seniors with the guidance and time to complete their college essays and begin the college application process. At the retreat, students receive unparalleled one-on-one attention from professional writing coaches and college counselors. In addition, they gain experience living on a college campus and have the opportunity to meet and network with admissions counselors and current college students.

Pre-College Transition Retreat

The pre-college transition retreat takes place at Sacred Heart University and introduces rising college freshmen to the financial, academic and social skills necessary to be successful in college. With guidance from Sacred Heart University representatives and Alumni Program staff, students gain practical skills around financial planning and personal management, and gain awareness of the realities of campus life. The goal of the retreat is to ensure a positive college experience and timely graduation by preparing alumni to overcome challenges they will face.