March 19, 2020

To Our Valued CollegeTracks Community,

Today, on our daily staff call via Zoom, we cheered at the news that all of the CollegeTracks college students studying abroad had safely returned to their homes. CollegeTracks remains committed to providing all of our students with the same outstanding college access and college completion support – whether it is virtually or over the phone - throughout the rest of the year, with our mission-driven passion and expertise.

During these anxious days, the most important thing we want you to know is that thanks to the proactive efforts of our staff, partners, and the broader community, we have an effective plan in place to continue supporting the high school and college students with whom we work.

The students that we serve are at a great disadvantage in their academic careers and college process and this crisis adds even higher hurdles for them to overcome. CollegeTracks will not let COVID-19 derail our high school students as they work towards college and higher education, and we will not let this obstacle keep our college students from persisting and graduating.

Our students need us now as much as ever, and we continue to work with our students and families in crisis so we can connect them to community resources. On a high level, here are the main elements of our plan:
1.  Our main office is closed, but our administrative, development, and communications team are still working (remotely) and are always available should you have any needs or questions.
2.  Our College Access Program (serving over 1,300 high school students at 5 High Schools) has pivoted due to the MCPS closure to a virtual caseload model, and is continuing to work proactively with our students while prioritizing their work with seniors. Our students will continue to receive support in their applications, admissions, enrollment, and financial aid processes.
3.  Our College Success Team (serving college students) is continuing to perform all of their student check-ins, recruitment, and student support virtually. They will continue to get the support they need and deserve to use this time positively, and to be ready when schools reopen.

CollegeTracks, like everyone else, is navigating the new day-by-day challenges presented by COVID-19. We are getting the best information we can, following the guidance and instruction of local and national officials, health experts, and industry leaders, and are learning from the best practices and successes of other organizations.

Our Board of Directors is meeting later this week to discuss other upcoming events and programs on our schedule, and we will reach out when we have updates.

We hope you, your family, and coworkers are doing well, and we hope that you know that we are always here to help you in any way that we can. We will get through these difficult times by pulling together and supporting each other, and by not forgetting those in our community who are least resilient and most need our support.

With Gratitude,
Linda Youngentob
CEO, CollegeTracks, Inc.