Ten of the 36 graduating high school seniors in WashU’s College Prep Program will attend WashU this fall, receiving a total of $820,000 in financial aid from Washington University in St. Louis. Other students have received offers from the University of Pennsylvania, Louisiana State University, Saint Louis University and some 60 state and private universities, community colleges and historically Black colleges and universities.
The College Prep Program (CPP) is an immersive four-year experience that prepares talented first-generation, limited-income high school students from the St. Louis region to succeed in college. CPP scholars take college courses, prepare for the ACT, learn about the financial aid process, visit nearby universities and cultural institutions and, during their final summer, live on campus. CPP staff also supports scholars during their college transition, serving as a resource no matter where they continue their educations.
On May 4, CPP scholars gathered for a graduation ceremony in Emerson Auditorium at WashU. Student speakers Oladipupo Fadeyi, a senior at Hazelwood East Senior High and an incoming student at WashU, and Dani Strehle, a senior at STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley and an incoming student at the University of Pennsylvania, reflected on their cohort’s closeness and their growth as scholars.
“Engaging in open dialogue allowed me to broaden my understanding of the world and appreciate our collective diversity,” said Fadeyi, who wants to learn to design high-performance cars at the McKelvey School of Engineering. “I am truly grateful for the opportunity to learn from and with you.”
“And then there were the Uno tournaments, hide and seek, our Vogue-offs, karaoke nights and impromptu volleyball games,” added Strehle, who plans to study international business and international relations at Penn. “In the midst of our summer fun, we took college classes, spoke on panels, presented academic papers and engaged within an esteemed and academic community. What made this experience truly extraordinary was the balance of joy and excellence.”
Founded in 2014, CPP is now administered by Undergraduate Admissions. In addition to support from CPP staff, graduate fellows and undergraduate program assistants, each scholar is assigned a mentor from Undergraduate Admissions, who helps them navigate the often confusing college search and financial aid process. Ronné Turner, vice provost for admissions and financial aid, said the goal is to provide scholars with as many options as possible.
“Sometimes, students who are first generation do not know what is available to them or they learn too late,” said Turner, who worked one-on-one with Strehle, reviewing her college essay and encouraging her to apply early decision to Penn. “We know admissions, we know financial aid. So we’ve been able to use our expertise to support the work of the CPP team and their mentors to expand opportunities whether their goal is WashU, the Ivy League or another school that is the right match.”
Fadeyi said he realized that WashU was the right fit during his final summer on campus. He like the idea of being close to home but at a top school that attracts talent from across the globe.
“I could really see myself here,” said Fadeyi, whose sister, Gbenisola, graduated from CPP in 2019. “Being part of the program exposed me to all of the good programs here — not just in engineering but across WashU. This is a place where I can really grow.”
Most of the CPP scholars attending WashU are eligible for the WashU Pledge Scholarship, which provides all admitted students from Missouri and southern Illinois with a family annual income of $75,000 or less with a free WashU education — tuition, housing, food, fees, books, even money for a laptop. Other students will receive comprehensive financial aid packages through the university’s new “no-loan” financial aid policy, which replaces need-based loans for undergraduates with scholarships and university grants.
“Our goal has always been to recruit the best and the brightest students regardless of their ability to pay,” Turner said. “It is especially exciting that so many of those students are part of the College Prep community.”
