This fall, BEAM is celebrating a momentous first: our inaugural cohort of Los Angeles-based students is heading to college! We couldn’t be more proud of our LA students who are starting as college freshmen at schools all across the United States.
AN OUTSTANDING GROUP OF STUDENTS
BEAM LA’s first cohort of students at Summer Away at Harvey Mudd College in 2019
In 2018, BEAM expanded to Los Angeles, serving 86 rising 7th graders at our Discovery summer program. The next summer, we added the next step in the BEAM Pathway, Summer Away - LA; 41 students attended the program (all but one having completed Discovery), which was held at Harvey Mudd College. Following that summer, they began year-round programming with BEAM. Thirty-three students from the original cohort have remained active with BEAM through high school and into college.
We are now celebrating so many successes as these students head to college this fall. The 2024 BEAM LA freshmen class includes:
Two Posse Scholars
Two Gates Scholarship recipients and three semi-finalists
Two Questbridge recipients and three finalists
Our first two students accepted into MIT
90% of students attending a Forbes “Top College”
Beyond these academic achievements, most of the students are pursuing STEM majors, have received significant financial aid, and all but one are the first in their family to go to college.
navigating a challenging admissions season
The college admissions process is never an easy one, and this past spring presented unique challenges. The new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) launched in January, months later than usual, leaving families little time to apply for aid. Additionally, the new application provided no way for parents to include their information without a social security number, a particular challenge for families with mixed immigration statuses. In the end, many students had to wait until long after they had received their acceptances to finally get the information they needed to determine if they could afford college, which was particularly troubling for the students and families that we serve.
Adding still more uncertainty was the Supreme Court’s decision to effectively ban the consideration of race and ethnicity in college admissions, which left many students and families trying to figure out whether — and how — to talk about their identities and experiences in their college applications.
[Read "BEAM's Statement on Affirmative Action in College Admissions and Equity in STEM," issued after the Supreme Court's ruling last summer.]
Despite these unprecedented circumstances, our first class of high school seniors in LA was determined to attend their dream schools. According to BEAM LA’s college admissions coordinator, Yesenia, “students weren’t just passionate about pursuing STEM majors and careers – they were also well prepared.” She praised them for their assuredness and critical thinking. “Our students are so confident in their abilities, and don’t hesitate to take advantage of resources. They are well-equipped to succeed, and BEAM helped them get there. I’m in awe of them!”
what beam does to support our high school seniors
BEAM students visiting Harvey Mudd and Pomona Colleges in November 2023
As students begin their college admissions journey, BEAM is there every step of the way to support and demystify an often-intimidating process. We provide personalized guidance through one-on-one check-ins, virtual appointments, and in-person meetings tailored to each student’s needs and goals. BEAM’s high school seniors receive intensive college application support, including essay reviews, college and scholarship recommendations, assistance with financial aid applications, and individualized academic advising. Students can also participate in college field trips, overnight retreats, workshops, classes, and more. Importantly, BEAM fosters a strong community of students who look to each other for reassurance, connection, and support.
We also recognize the importance of educating BEAM students’ families on the college admissions process. Bilingual resources, workshops, and individual meetings help ensure that families are engaged, informed, and excited about their students’ pursuit of higher education.
We also think a lot about how to get better at this work. As we strive to engage more students and families, we make efforts to reflect, assess, and adapt to serve our students to the best of our ability.
where are our students headed this fall?
See a complete list of our first class of BEAM LA students’ colleges:
Adib A. - Cal State Long Beach
Alexis M. - MIT
Aracely C. - UCLA
Brian B. - CSU Dominguez Hills
Brissia G. - Cal State Long Beach
Brizza G. - Kalamazoo College
Bryan H. - UCLA
Cherokee S. - Northwestern University
Chris G. - UC Riverside
Daniel T.P. - MIT
David W. - UC Santa Barbara
David R. - USC
Edilson M. - Los Angeles City College
Emily C. - UC Irvine
Fernando U. - USC
Janet M. - Vanderbilt University
Jarek E. - UC Berkeley
Jazmin H. - UC Riverside
Jordan H. - UC Berkeley
Jose M. - UC Davis
Julian O. - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Karla G. - UC Davis
Kaylee D.C. - UCLA
Kenny G. - UC Irvine
Kimberly C. - UC Santa Barbara
Ludmila C. - Los Angeles City College
Maxine H. - UC Berkeley
Maya P. - Kalamazoo College
Mishelle P-J. - Cal State LA
Oscar S. -USC
Samantha O. -Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Sofia V. -San Jose State
Steve H. -UC San Diego
Congratulations again to this remarkable group of students!