Product Update — our website is live! 🎉 Sign up at missionmentor.org to access step-by-step guides for everything from choosing ECs to FBLA to paying for college (plus get matched to awesome scholarships and summer programs)!

Thanks for all of your support as we’ve worked on this behind closed doors. We poured our hearts into this, and we hope you love it as much as we do 💕

Hey there! Hooray -- you've made your decision for college & graduated (or soon)!! 🎉  We'd love to hear a short reply of where you're off to and any pro tips you've got for the '27 cycle.  Here are our favorite resources to crush those exams and set yourself up for college success. 👨‍🎓

Your May Checklist 🎯

• It’s go-time for AP & IB exams! Take care of yourself these next two weeks and score some college credit! If you find yourself with limited motivation, check your school to see which AP/IB credits they accept and choose what to study for from there. Check our out tips for AP exams here and IB exams here.
• Find out when you need to sign up for classes. Some schools this occurs in the early summer, others you select courses during the second week of class. Make sure you know when you need to register and who your adviser is to make sure you start college on the right foot.
• Finalize your housing situation. You can find roommates through your class of ‘26 facebook group, instagram page, or by allowing the university housing system to select a random roommate(s). The best housing tends to go quickly, so make sure you take care of this ASAP.
• Get your financial stuff in order. Make sure you’re keeping up with acceptance deadlines for scholarships and giving the information to the appropriate people to ensure you receive your funding. Additionally, get your own bank accounts and set up a plan to pay for your tuition with your family.

💡 Looking for another great newsletter as you head off to college? Ladder compiles upcoming internship and networking events tailored to your career interests!

Upcoming Opportunities🏅

• Google’s Project Management Apprenticeship (Due 5/16): This is a 20-month long program for students looking to start a career in Project Management. Apprentices participate in on-the-job training and related technical instruction, as well as career readiness workshops and opportunities to develop professional skills.
• The Stanford Daily’s Summer Workshops (Due 5/23): The Stanford Daily offers three 5-8 week-long virtual workshops during the summer that cover topics in journalism, multimedia skills, and technology proficiency.
• The Columbia Political Review High School Essay Contest (Due 6/1): This contests scouts out the next generation of political writers by allowing students to enter in essays that propose solutions to the issues facing the country and beyond.
• Stuck at Prom Contest Scholarship Contest (Due 6/8): Students are challenged to create and wear their own prom outfits made entirely from Duck Tape for the chance to win scholarship cash!
• Ocean Awareness Contest (Due 6/13): This contest offers up to $1,500 for young people to learn about environmental issues through their art.
• Project SMART Summer Institute (Due 6/10): Project SMART is a Summer Institute at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) that challenges, educates, and motivates talented HS students in science and mathematics. This program will be held virtually this year.
• Civic Leadership Institute at Northwestern (Due 6/20): The Civic Leadership Institute (CLI) is a 3-week course that explores current social and political issues through service-learning experiences, exchanges with community leaders, and academic study.
• Breakthrough Junior Challenge (Due 6/25): The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is an annual global competition for students to inspire creative thinking about science. Students who win can get up to $250,000 in scholarship money!

Fun Fact 🤩

Happy belated Star Wars Day!! May the force be with you in this Star Wars and Religion course offered at UChicago. 🌌 🔫