WHY IT MATTERS
Your zip code shouldn’t determine your destiny. Too many brilliant, hard-working students face significant barriers when it comes to accessing the nation’s top colleges.
The Problem We’re Solving
A college degree has the power to help end the cycle of poverty, but only 14% of over 500,000 students living in low-income communities across Greater Houston are expected to earn any sort of post-secondary credential.
400:1 is the average student-to-counselor ratio in Texas high schools.
(AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION)
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10% of students from low-income backgrounds who matriculate to college complete a degree within six years.
(EAB)
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Just 25% of students from low-income communities with the grades and test scores to succeed at the nation’s top colleges even submit an application.
(JACK KENT COOKE FOUNDATION)
EMERGE’s Impact
60
Our reduced student-to-counselor ratio of 60:1 allows us to provide intensive college advising individualized to each student’s needs.
84
84% of EMERGE students attending selective colleges graduate within six years.
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97% of EMERGE students apply to at least one top-tier college or university.
Alumni Testimonials
EMERGE is creating a pipeline of future leaders who will spur innovation and give back to their communities. When EMERGE students become the first in their family to earn a degree, it has a lifechanging impact that ripples out into the community.
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EMERGE levels the playing field for high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds and helps them access the nation’s top colleges.
Students and alumni have been supported by EMERGE since 2010.
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89% of EMERGE students are accepted to at least one top college or university.
%
75% of EMERGE students matriculate to a top college or university.
Why Top Tier?
One thing that distinguishes EMERGE from other college access organizations is our emphasis on top-tier college matriculation. There are several reasons why we encourage students to attend these prestigious institutions.
Affordability
Research shows top-tier colleges and universities are often actually more affordable for students from low-income backgrounds thanks to generous institutional endowments and scholarships.
Graduation Rates
Research shows high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds graduate from top-tier colleges at a much higher rate than their peers at less competitive institutions.
More Student Resources
Top-tier colleges with larger endowments can hire more faculty and offer smaller classes. Additionally, they often offer specific programs supporting first-generation, low-income (FGLI) college students, services that smaller institutions may struggle to match. Research indicates these targeted programs positively impact academic and psychological factors crucial for student success.
Influential Networks
Attending a top-tier college can give students from low-income backgrounds access to important and influential networks that can help open doors to new opportunities.