SEO Scholars
in College
Personalized support through college — and beyond.
What it is
The second leg of our eight-year flagship program, SEO Scholars is built to support you every step of the way on your journey through college — from your first day on campus to graduation and beyond. With a dedicated College Persistence Advisor (CPA) by your side, you’ll get personalized, one-on-one guidance to help you navigate academic challenges, explore career paths, and grow personally and professionally. You’ll also take part in college readiness workshops, career networking events, and hands-on coaching to help you land competitive internships.
“SEO has been really integral to my college career. I received a reward from SEO that allowed me to go to Stony Brook, and going to a school away from home opened up so many opportunities for me. I got to be in a safe and growing environment. I got to be who I truly am and got to be the student that I am today.”
Cindy Baez SUNY Stony Brook, SEO Scholars High School Class of 2019
“This summer I’m most excited to work directly with migrants and immigrants in New York City. As an aspiring immigration lawyer, I know these experiences will help shape how I can better serve my community through advocacy and justice.”
Paulina Gordula SEO Scholars ‘22 University of Rochester
“Support from my SEO CPA and her letter of recommendation helped me secure my summer internship at NYU Langone in the Neurology/Epilepsy department. I encourage other Scholars to start researching opportunities early and take full advantage of available resources.”
Faith Osei-Addo SEO Scholar ‘23, Spelman College – Health Sciences
“This summer I’m interning at Bronx TBI Services, AHRC NYC, where I’ll be creating one-page profiles, supporting interest groups, and even observing clinical sessions. I’m excited to gain hands-on professional experience while building connections in a field I’m passionate about.”
Brandy Attah SEO Scholar ‘23 Boston University
How it works
After successfully completing high school, SEO Scholars move on to the college portion of the program. A continuation of your dedicated work and the comprehensive mentorship you received throughout high school, the college portion of our program provides you with unmatched prep and personalized support from your freshman year through college graduation.
It won’t be easy,
but it will be worth it
What you get
With preparation that begins before you ever step foot on campus, our SEO Scholars program provides you with everything you need to succeed personally and academically.
College readiness workshops
Designed to prepare you for what’s ahead, Scholars attend workshops on topics including adjusting to college life, homesickness, health issues, time management, course selection, relationship-building with professors, and effective study strategies.
One-on-one support
Scholars receive continual and individualized one-on-one academic, career, and personal support and guidance throughout your college years. You always have someone to call whenever you need advice, support, or just to listen.
Career exploration and networking
Advisors help you explore multiple career paths based on your own personal preferences and academic aptitude. The process is ongoing, dynamic, and fully utilizes the wealth of resources from SEO’s robust network of current Scholars, alumni, and friends.
Intensive career advising
Scholars receive intensive career advising to ensure you have access to career-critical internships. This includes ongoing resume drafting and updating, cover letter guidance, and in-person and web-based mock interviews, all aligned with internship search and placement support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for more information? Check out our FAQ for deeper answers to the most common questions.
At SEO, there’s no one way to be a Scholar — it looks different for every individual, and we value the unique perspective each Scholar brings to our community. Our Scholars share a love of learning, they have big goals for themselves, and they know that the kind of success they strive for means committing to their future starting in ninth grade.
Nearly 80% of students in remedial courses in college had a high school GPA of ‘B’ or higher, according to Strong American Schools’ report, Diploma to Nowhere. This means that even the higher-performing public school students aren’t nearly as prepared as their counterparts in more affluent school districts for college. SEO Scholars concentrates on providing the academic enrichment that urban public school students need to be admitted to and graduate from competitive universities.
SEO Scholars is a free program! Everything we provide to our Scholars is free, including but not limited to academic classes, SAT prep, field trips, guest speaker sessions, Enrichment Programs (pre-college, study abroad, or internship), and more.
We concentrate on English Language Arts (Grammar, Critical Reading and Critical Writing) and Math. In the spring of junior year, all students attend free SAT Prep classes given by highly trained SAT prep instructors.
SEO Scholars recognize that success in college means preparing in high school. As an SEO Scholar, you can expect to attend programming at the following times throughout your four years of high school:
- Saturday Academy: 8:30-4:30, three Saturdays a month
- Weekday Programming: 4:30-6:30, one afternoon a week
- Summer Academy: 8:30-4:30, five weeks over the summer
- *Sample schedule. Check your location for up to date days and times.
Then during college Scholars receive 1:1 ongoing support from a College Persistence Advisor through graduation. This includes support with college adjustment, academic advising, and career advising, internships, etc. Career readiness workshops are also provided during college vacations. We expect you to stay in touch with your advisor and attend relevant workshops and sessions as they occur.
