Spring Break
Posse: a support system before college even starts
by Lindsay Markel
Features | 9/7/04
Posted online at 2:12 AM EST on 9/7/04
Each year, approximately 1,200 students in New York City apply to be Posse scholars, according to Kim Godsoe, the Brandeis coordinator of Posse. These students go through a rigorous application process called the Dynamic Assessment Process (DAP). Godsoe explained that during DAP, "students are given tasks and are then evaluated on their leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
"You do things that are not predictable," Ramsoondar said about the first round of interviews, declining to give more details because she said future applicants should find out on their own.
Next, a select group is invited for interviews, and, in December, the 25 to 30 students who exhibit the strongest academic and leadership skills meet with representatives from Brandeis. It is from this group that the 10-person posse is chosen.
According to Turner, who is a co-president of the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO), the admissions procedure began with group interviews with 800 students, and culminated in individual interviews with two Posse trainers.
Micheline Frias '07 said that after surviving the grueling screening process, the selected scholars specify their top three school choices among the 22 Posse partner schools, and the foundation decides which college suits them best.
The students are awarded full tuition scholarships to one of the partner schools for four years.
Accepted students then form a close-knit group, with the intention of sticking up for one another and ensuring and encouraging success in an academic atmosphere.
"Anyone could benefit from that," Frias said. "You meet so many incredible individuals from such diverse backgrounds, and you share the same experiences."
Beginning in January of their senior year of high school, the 10 scholars undergo leadership training. They continue to meet with a Posse mentor once weekly during their first two years at Brandeis.
Each spring, the Posse scholars organize a weekend retreat and invite approximately 100 students, faculty and staff. According to Godsoe, past years' retreats have examined themes such as Social Pressures at Brandeis, Race and Identity, and Gender and Sexuality at Brandeis.
"You do things that are not predictable," Ramsoondar said about the first round of interviews, declining to give more details because she said future applicants should find out on their own.
Next, a select group is invited for interviews, and, in December, the 25 to 30 students who exhibit the strongest academic and leadership skills meet with representatives from Brandeis. It is from this group that the 10-person posse is chosen.
According to Turner, who is a co-president of the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO), the admissions procedure began with group interviews with 800 students, and culminated in individual interviews with two Posse trainers.
Micheline Frias '07 said that after surviving the grueling screening process, the selected scholars specify their top three school choices among the 22 Posse partner schools, and the foundation decides which college suits them best.
The students are awarded full tuition scholarships to one of the partner schools for four years.
Accepted students then form a close-knit group, with the intention of sticking up for one another and ensuring and encouraging success in an academic atmosphere.
"Anyone could benefit from that," Frias said. "You meet so many incredible individuals from such diverse backgrounds, and you share the same experiences."
Beginning in January of their senior year of high school, the 10 scholars undergo leadership training. They continue to meet with a Posse mentor once weekly during their first two years at Brandeis.
Each spring, the Posse scholars organize a weekend retreat and invite approximately 100 students, faculty and staff. According to Godsoe, past years' retreats have examined themes such as Social Pressures at Brandeis, Race and Identity, and Gender and Sexuality at Brandeis.
