1. Review Eligibility Information
You are eligible to apply if:
You are eligible to apply if:- You identify as a person of color:
Black/African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, or Multiracial - Citizenship: Student is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
- Grades: Currently in 4 – 9
The ideal candidate for A Better Chance:
- Consistently performs at or above grade level in math and English
- Has an overall academic average of a B+ or better
- Ranks in the top ten percent of their class
- Participates in extracurricular activities, both within and outside of the school community
- Demonstrates leadership potential in school or through activities outside of school
- Receives good teacher recommendations
- Is of upstanding character
- Family makes less than $250,000 per year
- Cannot be the child of one of A Better Chance's Alumni
A Better Chance reserves the right to use income as a criterion for eligibility to best serve those in need of our services. If you have questions about income, please contact recruitment@abetterchance.org.
Each student applicant MUST have a unique email.
- Upon completing the application form, families will receive an email within 1 working day. The email will come from “Social Solutions” and allow you to access the application through an online portal.
- A Better Chance recommends parents create a unique gmail account for each student applying because they will need to use a gmail account if they are accepted to the program.
OPTION 1
Early-decision Application Process
Deadline: Wednesday, March 1 at 11:59 pm EST
Application, documents, recommendations, and testing must be completed by the following date.
Benefits:
- Early Applicant Acceptance Notification:
- Families will receive a decision about their application in early/mid-April rather than having to wait until mid/late-June.
- Early Testing Access:
- Families receive access to mock testing at no cost to prepare for member school applications.
- Workshop Access:
- Families accepted under the early-decision process will have the opportunity to participate in a special day of workshops in April that will introduce families to key components of the independent school and Community Schools Programs admissions process.
- Deferral to Regular Decision:
- Based on the reading of the A Better Chance application, a family may have their application moved to the regular-decision applicant pool. This does NOT mean a family has been declined nor will not make it into the A Better Chance cohort. There could be numerous reasons a family receives this decision. Families who receive this decision will learn of their final decision in mid/late-June.
OPTION 2
Regular-decision Application Process
Deadline: Saturday, April 15 at 5:00 pm EST
Application, documents, recommendations, and testing must be completed by the following date.
We are still accepting applications from families in the Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest regions of the country. Contact recruitment@abetterchance.org if you would like to apply.
2. Complete Inquiry Form
3. Applicant Components
Your family will receive an email granting you access to the A Better Chance application system called Social Solutions/Apricot. Families will need to submit applicant components (listed below) in the application portal.
If you would like to watch a tutorial on the A Better Chance application please click here.
Report Card:
Families will need to submit a current year’s/most recently issued report card
Transcript:
A transcript showing the student’s grades issued for the previous grade completed.
Example: The family of a 4th grade student applying for 6th grade would need to submit current grades for 4th grade and a report card/transcript showing the student’s grades in 3rd
Families will need to submit one of the following:
- The first two pages of all forms 1040 of the family’s most recent Federal Tax Return
- Any employer-issued W2s
- Any forms 1099 for miscellaneous income
Each student is required to have one recommendation from either a Math or English Language teacher. You will solicit the recommendation by submitting the teacher’s information within the A Better Chance application portal.