Drew expects to awards diplomas to 100% of its students each year. To ensure that this vision becomes reality, the Drew team has designed, and the East Lake Foundation is supporting, a robust College and Career Readiness infrastructure and team led by a Director of College and Career Readiness. In addition to the Director, the team includes college counselors, social/emotional counselors, and academic tutors.

Program elements are modeled on national research standards and best practices critical to ensuring the students are college ready.

Key program elements include:

• Encouraging college aspirations through four-year plans and pathway development, academic advising, teacher advising, “college knowledge” sessions, social/emotional counseling and mentoring
• A new Early College Initiative is offered for eligible seniors to take certain college-level classes at Georgia State University and Atlanta Technical College
• Encouraging 100% engagement in enrichment and extracurricular activities through school clubs/organizations, and/or Georgia Tech’s Rising 9th Grade BridgeSummer Program
• College and career exploration such as college tours and fairs, visits by college representatives, college planning software, and an annual K-12 college and career week
• Access to and preparation for college and career assessments: Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and American College Testing (ACT), College and Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA)
• College affordability planning for students and parents, including information and access to financial aid and scholarships
• College counseling for each individual student and family (11th & 12th grade), plus a College Planning Handbook

For  more information on Drew’s College and Career Readiness Program, visit the College and Career Readiness Website.