College Visions

College Visions provides effective, relationship-based college advising to high school students who otherwise might not apply to college.College Visions offers college planning and financial aid workshops, an e-newsletter of college opportunities, fee waivers for tests and applications and mini-grants for students to cover school-related costs as they start freshman year. image of college visions members

The strength of College Visions is in the personal relationships created between the students and the advisors.Many guidance counselors at schools are overwhelmed (some have a ratio of 350:1) and may not have time that a first-generation college bound student needs.College Visions fills this gap by providing the one-on-one counseling needed to empower students to make an informed choice about picking a college or university.

College Visions was created by Simon Moore, a Rhode Island native, after he worked at an innovative public high school in New York City where he was a college advisor to a senior class of only 40 students.Simon wanted to start an organization that allowed for similar personal relationships in the college search process.

Out of that desire, College Visions was born.College Visions is now serving 65 high school seniors through partnerships with Central High School, New Urban Arts, Youth In Action and other teen serving organizations, and the program’s intensive, relationship-based approach is producing impressive results. 95% of College Visions participants have enrolled in college, 83% attend four-year schools, and 96% of those who entered college are still enrolled. College Visions graduates attend a diverse array of colleges including CCRI, URI, Clark University, Emmanuel College, Mount Holyoke College, Northeastern University, Bentley College, Guilford College, and RISD.

College Visions is in the process of planning its future. Simon hopes to support alumni to ensure they succeed in college, involve parents in the program more, and also reach out to other schools who are interested in learning more about the success College Visions has had.

Perhaps a College Visions student, Joana, Bentley College 2010, best sums up what College Visions can give to students: "I was kept on task with what had to be done. I was on time with everything: starting my essay, FAFSA, and applying to school. I feel that if I wasn't a part of College Visions I would have been completely lost like some of my friends and wouldn't have applied to as many schools. I've noticed that there was truly no other place or person I could have turned to in order to get help."