College Planning Cohorts
Helping students pursue their aspirations after high school?
When Dr. Brinson, the Minority Achievement Officer in Pinellas County Schools, brought this program to our school district, I learned how to develop a plan into my top choice college—The University of Chicago. This information was not available anywhere else, I had no college planning guidance from my counselor, and quite frankly, one of my teachers told me that the University of Chicago was out of my reach. Well, now I have my BS in Neuroscience from The University of Chicago (where I received a full scholarship), and am in the process of applying to medical school. This program teaches you how to dream big and reach high!Sydney (FL) [Marching Band]
I can honestly say that my college planning began in earnest, as a third grader. I approached Mr. Wynn with the simple question, 'What do I need to do to get a full scholarship to college?' Based on Mr. and Mrs. Wynn's guidance throughout my K-12 schooling, and through my undergraduate program at Williams College, I received a fully funded undergraduate education and am nearing the end of a fully funded graduate education as I approach receiving a PhD in math.Kimberly (GA) [Marching Band]
At the beginning of the tenth grade, my counselor, Ms. Haynes, encouraged me to join the cohort. I did not know about attending college outside of South Carolina and had no clue as to how I would pay for college. Through the program, I learned about the differences between the types of colleges, like liberal arts versus research universities, and the differences in financial aid policies and which colleges would meet my full financial need. From the first meeting, my path into a full scholarship at Williams College materialized with the guidance of Mr. and Mrs. Wynn.Jayla (SC) [Marching Band]
If not for seeing the flier about the program at my middle school, I do not know where I would be. While I have always committed to being a good student, I would never have had the guidance to plan my way through high school and in developing the leadership and community service profiles that would make me a competitive applicant for being offered admission, together with a full scholarship, to MIT.Arshia (FL)
I didn't join the program until my sophomore year of high school. While I did not have a lot of time to build my leadership and community service profiles, the program guided me step-by-step through the process. I learned about opportunities that no one else at my high school were aware of and was able to position myself for being offered admission, together with a full scholarship, to Caltech! My younger brother is now in the program and has expanded his aspirations from becoming a computer technician to becoming a computer engineer and has transferred to a more rigorous high school program.Tuyen (FL) [Student-Athlete]
I met Mr. and Mrs. Wynn during middle school. At the time, I was in AVID and thought that I knew what I needed to do to plan for college. However, I have learned that I didn't have a clue. The changes that I made to my 4-year high school schedule were only the beginning. I became a leader at school and served on the cohort's youth leadership board. The guidance that I received from Mr. and Mrs. Wynn throughout each year of high school landed me with 5 full scholarship opportunities (Boston University, Macalester College, Northeastern University, Washington & Lee, and Williams College). I plan to join 2 other cohort students, Jayla and Juliana, currently attending Williams College.Josiah (FL) [Student-Athlete]
Since joining the program as a rising 6th grader, Mr. and Mrs. Wynn have been a part of the college-bound journey of my older sister, currently attending Johns Hopkins University on a full scholarship, and myself as I prepare to enter Brown University in the fall, also on a full scholarship. I served on the youth leadership board throughout high school, served as a contributor to several books, published a podcast, served as a discussion group leader, and started a College Cohort Club at my high school. Mr. and Mrs. Wynn provided me with many opportunities to develop a stellar leadership profile. My family and I will be forever grateful for their guidance.Jocelyne (FL)
I joined the program as a rising 9th grader and followed the guidance in developing my 4-year high school plan. I then left the program to focus on school, only to return as a rising high school senior for guidance in where I should apply to college and for which scholarships I best matched. Mr. and Mrs. Wynn encouraged me to apply to Xavier University of Louisiana and Spelman College, the only HBCUs to which I applied. They also helped me understand how to approach essay writing, strategically. Well, my high school plan and my college essays worked perfectly! I was offered full scholarships to both schools and will begin my journey toward medical school on a full scholarship in the Spelman College Honors Program. Taylar (GA) [Marching Band]
Our 2025-26 Cohorts Begin on June 1, 2025
Established in 2012, our College Planning Cohort (TM) program is a nationally recognized, highly successful, and proven college planning process. While expanding college access and scholarship opportunities are the desired long-term outcomes, our process focuses on the year-to-year development of academic skills, personal growth, leadership development, and having a meaningful impact on a student’s family, school, and community. Consequently, more rigorous course taking, higher grades and test scores, assuming leadership roles, and engaging in meaningful community service are reflected in the achievements of the young people in our program who are intentionally pursuing dreams and aspirations after high school.
Choose from 4 Strands
Registration includes all required books and materials, 24/7 access to our online curriculum, access to our all-virtual monthly meetings, and 1-on-1 advising.
Strand #1 – College Planning: Through our curriculum, monthly meetings, and 1-on-1 advising, students are guided in developing comprehensive 7-year middle school-through-high school college/career plans to maximize the resources and opportunities within their school and school district. Through our process of “Backwards Mapping” students learn how to develop a “Body of Work” to compete in what has become a hyper competitive college admissions process. However, our process does not end with being offered college admission, but continues throughout the admissions and financial aid processes until students finalize their May 1 college enrollment decision.
Our success is unparalleled. Not only are students in our program offered admission to highly selective colleges and awarded full scholarships at over 20 times the national average, they are oftentimes the first students in their high school, or the first student in their school district, to be offered admission to such colleges as Amherst, Caltech, Carlton, Bates, Bowdoin, Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Macalester, MIT, Northeastern, Swarthmore, University of Chicago, University of Richmond, Vassar, Washington & Lee, or Williams, schools of which many first generation students had no prior knowledge.
Strand #2 – Essay Writing: From June 1 though May 1, students have 24/7 access to our online curriculum, monthly meetings, and 1-on-1 advising, in developing high quality college and scholarship essays. Includes instruction in developing personal statements, language usage, rhetorical situations, thesis statements, and persuasive and argumentative essays—all within the context of a student’s overall college or scholarship application strategy. High quality essays not only demonstrate artistic and technical merit, but are compelling in presenting a student as a high quality applicant within the context of a college or scholarship provider’s mission, vision, values, and institutional priorities. The curriculum was developed by Mychal-David Wynn who holds a BA in English from Amherst College and holds a Certification in College Admissions Counseling from UCLA.
Strand #3 – Athletes: Through our curriculum, monthly meetings, student-athletes are guided in taking action based on the reality that 93% of high school student-athletes will not be recruited. Our program is focused on assisting student-athletes in developing a “game plan” beyond sports onto multiple career or college pathways. Our comprehensive college/career guidance is driven by student aspirations, albeit continue playing their sport in college, positioning themselves to be drafted by a professional sports team, or to leveraging their sports participation to expand their college, career, and scholarship pathways. As a student pursues a coach’s game plan, we guide students in developing their game plan beyond sports.
Strand #4 – Study Skills: Through our curriculum, monthly meetings, and 1-on-1 advising, even the most accomplished academic students benefit from developing brain-based study skills and learning strategies. Most students are forced to figure out how to study and how to learn with little formal guidance from their school. Our curriculum uses the latest brain research to guide each student in developing a step-by-step approach to studying and learning based on their personality, learning style, temperament, time-of-day energy levels, before- and after-school schedules, and resources.
For a more comprehensive overview of our program, research, and history, click here to go to the Our Curriculum page on our website. Read our newsletter…
Register Now
Students may register individually. Schools and organizations may register groups of students. Students may earn a $50 referral fee and sponsors may receive a $100 discount for each sponsored student.
Option #1: Pay a one-time annual registration fee of $899.95. Click here to purchase an annual registration…
Option #2: Pay an initial registration fee of $199.95 and agree to pay 10 monthly payments of $99.95/month. Note: This option is not available to school districts or community-based organizations. Click here to purchase a monthly registration…
Sponsor a Student:Click here to receive a $100 discount for each sponsored student.
Upon receipt of your paid registration, required books and materials will be shipped to the address provided in your registration. Students will be enrolled in the appropriate online classroom and will receive login credentials. An orientation meeting and will be held on the first Saturday in June (June 7, 2025).
Click here to download college planning cohort flier
Click here to download essay writing cohort flier
Click here to download college planning for athletes cohort flier