About the KenSAP Programme
A-List Education is proud to partner with KenSAP, one of Africa’s most prestigious college access programmes. KenSAP provides pre-university preparation, leadership and professional development programmes for Kenya’s highest achieving, lowest-income students. Since its founding in 2004, the organisation has placed 218 students in a hugely impressive list of institutions such as Harvard (23 students), Yale (14 students), and Princeton (13 students).
About the Ark Schools Programme
Ark is an international education charity, transforming lives through education. Ark exists to give every young person, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. In the UK, Ark is a network of 36 schools, educating around 24,000 pupils in areas where Ark can make a significant impact: London, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Hastings.
The Programme
A-List’s partnership with Ark is designed to give access to resources and support in the US university process. A university education can be a life changing opportunity, one that should be open to all willing and eager students. The US university admissions process is complex and navigating that system as an international student is doubly challenging. By translating the system, offering guidance, and providing personalized support, we help Ark students attend top universities in the US. Studying at a US university offers pupils the flexibility of obtaining a liberal arts degree (versus the specialisation demanded by UK institutions), the breadth of 4,500 universities (including 19 of the 25 top ranked universities by Times Higher Education), international exposure which is highly valued by UK employers, and opportunities to pursue academics and athletics at the highest level and the advantages of strong alumni networks. Additionally, in the face of rising tuition fees at UK universities, the opportunity to take up a place at a top-tier US university with strong financial support is an enviable advantage.
Ark Schools and A-List Education UK partnered to help realise the transformational opportunity of a US college education for our pupils. The programme’s objectives are:
Equip motivated ARK Schools pupils with the educational resources and the support apply to, and attend, leading US universities with financial aid packages
Develop a sustainable and scalable US university track across the ARK Schools network
Inspire state school pupils in England to apply to US universities
The Ark US Scholars Programme features:
- Intensive ACT/SAT and SAT Subject Test instruction to prepare students for tests in the spring and autumn
- A personalised US college list of universities organised into reach, target and safety schools
- Support to complete the Common App, personal statements, essays and essay supplements and financial aid documents
- Support for the schools with their requirements (references, transcripts etc.)
- Support for parents to complete the financial aid requirements and become familiar with the US university system
- Athletics consulting when applicable
The selection criteria for the programme reflects that of a US university, including:
- Motivation
- Unique life stories
- Excellent GCSE and A-level results and potential
- A strong school recommendation
- ACT diagnostics
- Demonstrated financial need