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 grades 4 – 9
The ideal candidate for A Better Chance:
- Has an overall academic average of a B+ or higher
- Consistently performs at or above grade level in math and English
- Participates in extracurricular activities
- Demonstrates leadership potential
- Family makes less than $350,000 per year
- Can be the child of an A Better Chance Alumna/us
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 Inquiry Form, families will receive an email within two business days. The email will come from “Social Solutions” and allow you to access the A Better Chance 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.
Our application opens in early February. We have two application deadlines: Early Decision (early March) and Regular Decision (mid-April).
Early Decision
Deadline: March 3 at 11:59 PM EST
- Application must be completed by the above date.
Benefits:
- Early Decision Notification: Families will receive a decision about their application in mid-April rather than having to wait until June.
- Workshop Access: Families admitted under the Early Decision process will participate in a special day of workshops introducing families to key components of the independent school and Community Schools Programs admissions processes.
- 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. There could be numerous reasons a family receives this decision. Families who receive this decision will learn of their final decision in June.
Regular Decision
Deadline: April 15 at 11:59 PM EST
- Application must be completed by the above date.
2. Complete Inquiry Form The A Better Chance application is now closed. Our application will open again in February 2026 for placement in the 2027-2028 school year. Please fill out our inquiry form to stay in the loop about the next application cycle.
3. Applicant Components
Your family will receive an email from Social Solutions granting you access to the A Better Chance portal. 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 Cards:
- Last Year: Last year's final report card
- This Year: Most recent report card
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 from 3rd grade.
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
Families may submit an optional letter of recommendation from a Math or English Language teacher. If submitting a letter of recommendation is at all prohibitive to your family, we are happy to waive the recommendation letter requirement for you. Families who solicit a recommendation will do so by submitting the teacher's information within the A Better Chance portal.