Our method at PeerForward taps into a highly effective resource found in every high school in the nation: Influential Students. Within our program, these influential students become Peer Leaders after receiving thorough leadership training. Together they work with their fellow Peer Leaders to increase postsecondary admissions and drive-up college success rates across the entire school. In order to maximize their impact, they are tasked with focusing on three specific student-driven campaigns: Campaign Apply, Campaign Connect, and Campaign FAFSA.
After returning from summer break, our Peer Leaders home in on Campaign Apply, also referred to as the Apply to Three Campaign. Submitting two college applications raises a student’s probability of enrollment by 40%, and a third application increases probability by another 10%. The goal of this campaign is to get students to take advantage of those statistics. Our Peer Leaders encourage their classmates to apply to three or more colleges to order to boost postsecondary education institution enrollment.
Since the start of the school year, Peer Leaders have been hard at work on Campaign Apply. From social media posts to after school events, they’ve been giving it their all. Today, we’re looking at some examples of how our Peer Leaders have been guiding their fellow students through the college application process, highlighting the importance of submitting multiple applications:
California
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Our Public Service Community High School Peer Leaders created a reel to a trending song encouraging their peers to submit college applications. This is a prime example of how our students use social media and pop culture to appeal to their classmates.
Bermuda
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Our Bermuda Peer Leaders from The Berkeley Institute hosted an Apply Day at their school. This event was created specifically to help their peers submit college applications to Bermuda College. Our Peer Leaders walked them through the process and answered any questions attendees had.
Florida
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Our Lake Wales Peer Leaders from Florida hosted a College Fair where students had the opportunity to speak with representatives from a number of postsecondary institutions in their area. They had great turnout for their event thanks to their exhaustive promotion efforts on their Instagram in the days leading up to the fair!
Maryland
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Our Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. Peer Leaders from Maryland hosted a county-wide College and Career Fair! Students across their school district came to meet with representatives from a number of postsecondary institutions. From 4-year colleges to trade schools, they had it all! This event showcases that our Peer Leaders recognize everyone has a different postsecondary plan. Traditional colleges aren’t the only option, and our students are committed to helping their peers find a pathway that is right for them!
New York
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Our Thurgood Marshall Academy PeerForward team from New York hosted a Campaign Apply event during CUNY free week! They spread the word to their peers that applications could be submitted free of cost, and they helped them through the application process itself.
Of course, these posts represent only a fraction of the powerful Campaign Apply activities our Peer Leaders have done. We are beyond proud of all that our teams have accomplished so far. With application deadlines now in the past, our Peer Leaders will shift focus to Campaign FAFSA. Stay tuned to find out how they tackle this next campaign!
