Newark High School Boasts 85% College Rate For Black Seniors

NEWARK, NJ — More than 100 graduating students at KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy recently announced their college plans during the school’s annual Senior Signing Day.

During a ceremony at Montclair State University last month, 129 KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy (NCA) seniors publicly announced for the first time where they will be attending college in the fall. Many of the students are low-income; more than 88% of KIPP New Jersey students currently qualify for free or reduced meals.

According to school administrators, KIPP NJ alumni graduate from college at 3.5 times the rate of their peers. KIPP NCA is also one of five NJ high schools in the “80/80 Club”: 85 percent of African-Americans go to college, and 84 percent attend 4-year schools.

During the May 24 signing ceremony, the KIPP NCA students announced their future school, each holding a huge banner aloft.

Alonzo Eley, who will be attending Kean University in September, said that the night was the culmination of years of hard work.

“Some of us have been together since middle school, and to share this meaningful experience with my friends, as well as with my teachers and family, is something I’ll never forget,” Eley said.

“The experience of seeing each one of these talented young women and men announce their intended college is something our team will never tire of, as we know how dedicated our students have been to their academics and what this accomplishment represents,” said Ryan Hill, founder and CEO of KIPP New Jersey.

A list of schools where the 2018 senior class has been accepted follows below. Additionally, one student will be entering the Navy and another has deferred college for a year because she’s signed to a record label, administrators said.

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KIPP NJ Class of 2018 College Acceptances

• Albertus Magnus College

• Albright College

• American International College

• Barton College

• Bergen Community College

• Bloomfield College

• Bridgewater State University

• Bryant University

• Caldwell University

• Castleton University

• Centenary University

• Clark Atlanta University

• Clark University

• Cleveland Institute of Art

• Cleveland State University

• Coastal Carolina University

• Cogswell College

• College of Saint Elizabeth

• Colorado State University

• Curry College

• Dean College

• Delaware State University

• Dillard University

• Drew University

• Drexel University

• East Carolina University

• Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus

• Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus

• Felician University

• Gannon University

• Georgian Court University

• Hampton University

• Harris-Stowe State University

• Hartwick College

• Hofstra University

• Hudson County Community College

• Iona College

• Iowa State University

• Johnson & Wales University (Denver)

• Johnson & Wales University (Providence)

• Kean University

• Keene State College

• Kent State University

• Keystone College

• Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

• La Salle University

• LIM College (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising)

• Lincoln University

• Lindenwood University - Belleville Campus

• Livingstone College

• Louisiana State University

• Lycoming College

• Lynn University

• Marshall University

• Marymount University

• Mercer County Community College

• Michigan State University

• Monmouth University

• Montclair State University

• Morehouse College

• Morgan State University

• Mount Holyoke College

• Mount Saint Mary College

• Neumont College of Computer Science

• New England College

• New Jersey City University

• New Jersey Institute of Technology

• Norfolk State University

• North Carolina Central University

• Northampton Community College

• Ohio University

• Old Dominion University

• Pace University, New York City

• Pennsylvania State University

• Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg

• Quinnipiac University

• Ramapo College of New Jersey

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• Rider University

• Rowan University

• Rutgers University - Camden

• Rutgers University-New Brunswick

• Rutgers University-Newark

• Rutgers University-Newark (College of Arts & Sciences)

• Saint Peter's University

• Seton Hall University

• Shaw University

• South Carolina State University

• Spelman College

• St. John Fisher College

• St. John's University - Manhattan Campus

• St. John's University - Queens Campus

• St. John's University - Staten Island Campus

• State University of New York at Albany

• Stockton University

• Suffolk University

• Temple University

• The American Musical and Dramatic Academy

• The College of New Jersey

• The Culinary Institute of America- NY (Main Campus)

• The New School - All Divisions

• The Ohio State University

• The University of Scranton

• The University of the Arts

• Thiel College

• Tuskegee University

• University of Bridgeport

• University of Connecticut

• University of Hartford

• University of Kentucky

• University of Maryland, College Park

• University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

• University of New Haven

• University of Toledo

• Utah State University

• Virginia Commonwealth University

• Virginia State University

• Wells College

• Wentworth Institute of Technology

• West Virginia State University

• West Virginia University

• Western Michigan University

• Western New England University

• Westminster College

• William Paterson University of New Jersey

• Xavier University

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Photos: KIPP New Jersey