Rewarding scholars

This fall, The College announced that it will extend full-tuition scholarship offers to graduates of the International Baccalaureate Programme in the Rochester City School District. The district has the 11th highest per capita child poverty rate in the nation. In many of its schools, 99 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch programs. Offering tuition scholarships to these students eliminates one major hurdle that often keeps talented, inner-city students from seeking matriculation into top universities. Before being enrolled in the IB program at Joseph C. Wilson Magnet School, students from the Rochester City School District participate in a competitive admissions process. The student body is composed of roughly 80 percent minority students, who come from a variety of inner-city Rochester neighborhoods. Once accepted, some students begin the IB program track. The school offers many extracurricular sports, clubs and activities for students to enrich their lives. IB also requires students to complete 150 hours of community service. Graduation from the IB program, unlike from other American high school diploma programs, allows students to be considered for admission to the world’s top universities. Any student, regardless of socioeconomic status, would benefit immensely from the IB experience. This strong college preparation is peculiarly rare among minorities in the applicant pool. Top universities compete for the same precious few minority students each year. These top students have their pick among the top schools, and those higher in the rankings find more success attracting diverse classes. By offering scholarships to students who successfully complete Wilson Magnet School, UR puts itself in a position to reap the benefits that flow from a diverse student body.Currently, 53 Wilson students have started their IB studies, with an additional 140 negotiating their way through Pre IB. There are already two Wilson-bred IB laureates studying at UR. Hopefully, the scholarship initiative will help the university entice many more of these students to study here and contribute to the vibrant exchange of ideas on campus.