The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Tony Astran

Buffalo State will offer an incentive for Buffalo Public Schools students with the Buffalo State College Challenge, a new program that provides admission and a scholarship for those who meet specific academic benchmarks by the time they graduate.

The Buffalo State College Challenge will begin this year as a pilot program in McKinley High School. To participate, students must take classes geared toward college preparation, earn a score of 1,000 or better on the critical reading and math sections of the SAT, and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 85. Those who meet the requirements will be granted admission and a scholarship to Buffalo State.

The program is modeled after the Syracuse Challenge, a partnership between Syracuse University and the Syracuse City School District that began in 1993. Dean Reinhart, associate director of admissions, previously worked in admissions at Syracuse University and thought the idea would benefit the Buffalo School District.

“This is not so much a recruitment program as it is a community service program—an opportunity for admissions professionals to go into high schools and work with students to get to college,” he said. “The primary objective is to make sure students understand the opportunities and realities that going to college will pay off big for them. Anything we can do to improve the retention rate within the Buffalo Public Schools is something that we genuinely want to do because it helps the community.”

Hal Payne, vice president for student affairs, and Mark Petrie, associate vice president for enrollment management, secured approval for the Buffalo State College Challenge through Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent James Williams earlier this summer. The Admissions Office has designated Kenneth Robinson, admissions assistant, as a coordinator for the program. Robinson will spend a minimum of three days each month at McKinley High School to meet with students and monitor program progress with teachers, counselors, and principals. He said the program will also have tie-ins to Buffalo State’s precollegiate programs.

“With the Buffalo State College Challenge, students will work more closely with us, stay focused on doing what it takes to get into college, and be accountable for their academic performance,” Robinson said. “We want to help—and challenge—these capable students, many of whom are at-risk.”

Robinson believes the program comes at a crucial time for Buffalo. He said roughly half of students in public urban high schools in the 50 largest U.S. cities currently do not graduate. Graduation rates are especially low in high-need districts like Buffalo, one of the nation’s poorest cities.

Robinson hopes faculty and staff will get involved with the program to provide guidance to students about career paths. He also hopes to recognize ongoing student progress and program alumni in future years with an annual ceremony.

“The success of the Buffalo State College Challenge would underscore our commitment to the community,” Robinson said. “This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that when you partner for progress, you can change lives.”