Northfield Mount Hermon: Upward Bound Recent Successes

Upward Bound Successes and Quick Facts

NMH Upward Bound Successes
and Facts

NMH Upward Bound is celebrating 40 years of service to our local communities. The program was awarded a four-year grant by the Department of Education for $346,530 in May 2007 in an extremely competitive national grant process. Additional funding for the program comes from the Davis Foundation, the Edwin S. Webster Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

Upward Bound Scholars increased their overall combined SAT scores by an average of 165 points from the time they entered the program.

In the past three years, four Upward Bound Scholars have received the prestigious Christian Herter Scholarship, which is awarded to only 25 students across the state. The scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate strong academic records, community service, leadership and who have overcome significant obstacles. The scholarship will cover up to half of their need at any college.

Upward Bound students made impressive academic gains: 97 percent of students showed an increase of 20 points or better on SAT verbal and and math sections

One hunderd percent of students served were retained or graduated from high school.
Ninety percent of seniors enrolled in a program of postsecondary education.
Ninety-one percent of graduates have either completed a program of postsecondary education or are currently on track to complete a program within six years.
Seventy-six percent of all students tested improved their score by 20 percent or better on the English Post tests.
Ninety-seven percent of all students tested improved their score by 20 percent or better on the Math Post tests.
Upward Bound alumni are excelling in every field including engineering, law, education, business, medicine, and social services.
One Upward Bound student is currently attending Northfield Mount Hermon School on full scholarship.
A Parent Advisory Council has been formed. Parents have become very active in supporting their children’s college dreams. Over the past two years parents have raised more than $12,000 to help students with scholarships to help with unmet need. An endowment has been established in order to secure the long term future of the program. Four scholarships have been awarded to graduates.
Recent graduates (2002-2007) are attending Williams College, Brown University, Trinity College, St. Olaf’s, Beloit, Franklin and Marshall College, Bowdoin College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Stonehill College, Swarthmore College, Boston College, Bentley College, College of the Holy Cross, Saint Anselm College, St. Michael’s College, Temple University, Clark Atlanta, University of Massachusetts, as well as many state colleges, state universities, and community colleges.
Every year we turn away up to 100 qualified students because of inadequate funding. Many eligible and motivated students who really need the services are excluded because of limited funding.