Navigating New Opportunities
At EBCAO, we are committed to providing students with community, support, and practical guidance as they navigate the transition and longer path through higher education–from negotiating resources, to managing professional commitments, pursuing wellness, and fostering a network of mentors, friends, and advocates. Our “Through College” programs provide mentorship, academic enrichment, and community to students, particularly those hailing from backgrounds historically marginalized at the University, thereby empowering them to achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals.
Cultivating A Community of Care & Support
You entered college with your own unique set of values, perspectives, and skills. As a college student, you’ll have the chance to consider how to refine, build upon, and actualize these commitments in your academic and professional journey. But you won’t have to make this journey on your own! In EBCAO, we question the myth of the “independent scholar”—the idea that someone can learn, grow, and achieve entirely on their own. Our programs are interdependent communities of scholars who work together to thoughtfully engage college life, find success, and prepare for the exciting road ahead.
Programs To Take You Through College
Programs to Take You Through College
The following programs provide support for first-generation, lower-income, and otherwise historically excluded students as they matriculate at Princeton and other selective institutions while encouraging the development and pursuance of their academic, co-curricular, and professional goals.
Designed to inspire and prepare incoming students for Princeton’s vibrant intellectual and social life, FSI is a seven-week summer program where first-year students and faculty work together to pursue various academic and campus-community activities.
FSI Online is a virtual pre-orientation program offering a Princeton course and the opportunity to engage with campus resources.
TSI provides educational opportunities as well as continued transfer success programming to community college students as they consider and plan for transfer to four-year institutions.
SIFP provides mentorship, community, and practical guidance to students for whom Princeton presents a new academic and social culture from their home communities.
Resources for transfer, veteran, and nontraditional students ensure a thriving community and a valuable academic toolkit.
This summer has been unforgettable, not just because of the unusual time [of a global pandemic] we are living through, but because of the memories I have made by participating in the Freshman Scholars Institute. Through FSI, I have met people from all over the world, sharpened my academic skills, and learned about resources on Princeton’s campus…I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Princeton, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to be a part of this program.
FSI Times Two!
The summer of 2022 acted as a revival to our residential student programs, and marked the first year that the Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) operated both residentially and online, serving a total of around 150 students. After two years of fully remote operation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were ecstatic to be back in person with students and eager to expand reach by continuing the online program. At the end of the summer, we celebrated all of our students' hard work with our annual FSI Closing Social complete with bouncy castles, snow cones, and of course, the memories of an amazing summer!
The First-Generation, Lower-Income Consortium
FGLI Consortium partners with Princeton and other highly selective universities and colleges to provide leadership, expertise, and resources to first-generation and lower-income students. We share knowledge resources, build relationships with FGLI administrators, and play an active role in consulting on best practices, college access, and achieving successful outcomes for educational professionals, non-profits, and other stakeholders.
