Good Samaritan Opens Doors
Particularly for students in middle- and upper-income families, college visits are as much a part of the college selection process as filling out applications. Attending open houses, going on tours, maybe even spending a night or two on campus are considered essential to making the right decision for the student’s future. But what about students whose families can barely make ends meet, who will be relying on significant scholarship support to attend college, who may have to choose a school based solely on materials from its admissions office? Particularly for students from underserved populations, finding the right fit can be crucial to a successful college experience.
Until this year, Lawrenceville’s scholarship students had few options when it came to visiting colleges, but thanks to a grant from Good Samaritan, Inc., shepherded by the late Ned Carpenter ’39, a trustee of the foundation and a trustee emeritus of Lawrenceville, scholarship students in the Class of 2009 were able to visit prospective colleges before making that critical final decision. The Good Samaritan gift established an endowed fund that will generate income for this purpose in perpetuity, and its value is already evident.
“The decision (between Stanford and Columbia) was, without a doubt, the hardest choice I’ve ever had to make,” wrote a student from the Bronx, New York, in her thank you note to the donor. “But I’m glad I even had the choice, and I’m glad your support helped me make a wise one. Going to California did indeed make my choice exponentially more difficult, but it also helped me visualize my future.”
When Lawrenceville approached Ned Carpenter for advice on obtaining a grant from Good Samaritan, Ned emphasized the foundation’s preference – and his – for funding unique programs without an existing base of support. He and the foundation also shared a profound interest in supporting students with financial need. In the discussions that followed, it became clear that while Lawrenceville’s scholarship students had the same access to the School’s highly sophisticated and personalized college counseling process as their wealthier classmates, they did not have the means to visit many of the colleges to which they were applying. Ned immediately saw the value in establishing a fund for “Support of the College Admission and Selection Process” and was instrumental in making the case for it to the rest of the Good Samaritan board.
“The Good Samaritan fund is a wonderful adjunct to our college counseling program,” said Sara Tucker, Lawrenceville’s director of financial aid. “In the past, we would try to help our students as much as we could on a piecemeal basis, but too often the student who might be a perfect fit for a program offered at a Midwest or West Coast school would pass on it for fear of the unknown. This year, our seniors had funds available near the end of the process before making a commitment; next year, we expect they may take advantage of this funding to visit earlier, perhaps to make an impression on an admissions or financial aid officer.”
Student financial aid is one of the two highest priorities of The Bicentennial Campaign, with a $50 million fundraising goal. Thus far, nearly $30 has been raised for this purpose, a significant testament to Lawrentians’ support of educational opportunity. By maximizing students’ prospects for a successful college experience, Lawrenceville is one step closer to realizing yet another important goal – opening the door to upward mobility for deserving students with financial need.