Posse Expands College, University Partnerships
Since 2022, Posse has established seven new college and university partnerships. Earlier this year, the Foundation added Whitman College, Santa Clara University, and Providence College to its roster of top institutions of higher education. In addition, longstanding partners William & Mary, Oberlin College, and Vanderbilt University have each expanded the partnership to recruit additional cohorts of Posse Scholars.
“The Posse Foundation has been a leader in enabling access for promising students who might not otherwise be identified in admissions processes.”
Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier
Vanderbilt, Posse’s founding partner, accepted the first Posse cohort from New York City in 1989. Since then, over 300 Posse Scholars have graduated from the prestigious university, with many going on to become leaders in their fields. (Three current trustees of the University are Posse alum.) Next fall, Vanderbilt will recruit an additional Posse cohort from New York and another from Houston, tripling the size of the program on campus.
In a statement to the campus community, Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said, “We are proud to expand our long-standing relationship with Posse Scholars. The Posse Foundation has been a leader in enabling access for some the country’s most promising students who might not otherwise be identified in the admissions process. The program’s innovative approach to assessment, support and leadership development is a model for creating educational opportunity nationwide.”
William & Mary, which currently recruits students from Virginia through the Posse Virtual Program, has expanded the partnership to recruit a second cohort from that state. One of the country’s oldest institutions of higher education, William & Mary helped launch the Posse Virtual Program as one of it’s inaugural partners in 2020. Today, the program has grown to include eight other schools and has greatly increased Posse’s reach in cities across the country.
“I have seen first-hand the incredible impact that Posse Scholars have on campus. These are the leaders that the world needs.”
Whitman College President Sarah Bolton
Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, has been a Posse partner since 2006, recruiting talented students from Chicago. The College, which boasts a renowned conservatory, will also welcome Posse cohorts from Houston starting fall 2024.
“We are proud to grow our long-standing relationship with Posse Scholars because the model really works,” says Oberlin College and Conservatory President Carmen Twillie Ambar. “The Posse Foundation got its start more than three decades ago, inspired by a student who said, ‘I never would have dropped out of college if I’d had my posse with me.’ That simple but powerful message has led to countless success stories at Oberlin and other institutions that deeply value equal access to higher education.”
New partners Whitman College, Providence College and Santa Clara University will recruit students from Chicago, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, respectively. With these additions, Posse partner colleges and universities will select and admit 910 Posse Scholars next year, bringing the Foundation closer to its goal of supporting 1,000 Scholars annually.
"I have seen first-hand the incredible impact that Posse Scholars have on campus as well as the transformative experiences that colleges like Whitman can offer these students,” says Whitman College President Sarah Bolton. "These are leaders that the world needs. I am thrilled about the new partnership with The Posse Foundation and look forward to welcoming our first students from Posse Chicago in the fall of 2024."
