When The Posse Foundation was founded in 1989, its goal was to identify exemplary high school students that may be overlooked by the standard college admissions process and help these students achieve academic and personal success.

During the first component of Posse, recruitment, staff members from the organization use a system to identify potential Posse scholars and conduct large group and individual interviews with these students. Posse staff and administrators from each partner institution admit 10 students, now Posse Scholars, as a supportive and multicultural team called a “Posse.”

After recruitment, each group meets weekly for nine months to attend a workshop conducted by a staff trainer. The four areas that are addressed during these workshops include: academic excellence, cross-cultural communication, team building and group support, and leadership and how to initiate change on their respective campuses. Once on campus, Posse Scholars meet with a mentor weekly as a team and individually for the first two years of college. Finally, in order to aide in their professional development, Posse Scholars have access to an internship program, career services, and an alumni network.

The goal of the Posse Foundation is to provide top institutions with a selection of exemplary students from diverse backgrounds that they can recruit, improve the college environment for students of all backgrounds, and help Posse Scholars graduate and find leadership positions in the workforce.

Since its inception in 1989, Posse has sent over 3,000 of its Scholars to top colleges and universities all around the country. These Scholars have won over $300 million in scholarships from Posse’s partner institutions and have a graduation rate of over 90%, a rate well above the national average.