ABOUT MICP

Our Goal

Since taking on the first class of Pre-College Scholars in 1989, Georgetown's Meyers Institute for College Preparation’s goal has remained the same: to promote student interest and motivation toward the pursuit of a college education and to provide intensive academic, psychosocial, and family mentoring support in order to help students accomplish their academic goals. The program also aims to build a larger sense of self-worth among students, who generally come from highly disadvantaged environments where education is not often valued by their peers.

The Meyers Institute for College Preparation strives not only to educate in the academic sense, but also to instill confidence and build a desire for education in students by providing them with highly enriching experiences.

Program Components

The Saturday Academy: Beginning in the 7th grade and continuing through the 12th grade, Meyers Institute for College Preparation scholars attend Saturday Academy classes from 9am to 1pm on Georgetown’s main campus during the fall and spring semesters. Students develop and strengthen critical thinking skills, thus improving their test-taking and study skills. The curriculum focuses on coursework in the core subjects of English, Math, and Spanish.

The Summer Institute: During the summer, students attend the MICP Summer Institute on Georgetown’s campus every weekday for 3 to 5 weeks. Coursework concentrates on Science, Math, Spanish, English, and an elective. In the 11th grade, students live on Georgetown University’s campus for the duration of the Summer Institute, allowing them to get a taste of the joys and challenges that come with life on a college campus.

Capstone Activities: Students are given the opportunity to combine their academic coursework with capstone experiences to help prepare them for college. Some of these capstones include the following:

• College Tours (East and West coasts)
• Summer Study Abroad (past trips include Ecuador, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama)
• Trip to New York City to see a Broadway Play
• Residential Summer Institute on Georgetown’s Campus
  

First Year of College: During students’ pre-college summer, Meyers Institute for College Preparation staff members facilitate communication between graduating students’ college admissions offices, financial aid offices, faculty advisors, and assistant deans, with whom students will interact during their first critical months on campus. In some cases, the Institute provides assistance in purchasing textbooks and supplies and providing transportation between Washington, D.C. and a student’s new university or college.

Results

Since the program began in 1989, 98% of the more than 100 program participants in three classes have graduated from high school. Of the Classes of 1995, 2001, and 2005, 85% have graduated from college within 5 years of enrolling. Students in the Class of 2009 have enrolled at colleges and universities (including Penn State, Temple University, UMES, or Xavier University) and are working towards graduation, scheduled for the spring of 2013. MICP is currently working with the Class of 2013 (9th grade), the Class of 2014 (8th grade), and the Class of 2015 (7th grade).

The work of the Georgetown University’s Meyers Institute for College Preparation provides strong evidence that consistent, comprehensive, long-term academic support, coupled with parental engagement, can have a significant impact on students by helping them complete high school on time and becoming adequately prepared to succeed in postsecondary education.