Nominate a Student
A nomination is the starting point for a student’s journey to success with TUP.
Help us find our 9th Cohort from the high school Class of 2026.
A message to nominators:
We rely on partnerships with School-Based Counselors and College Access Providers to identify talented, motivated students who will thrive in our program. Each student must receive a nomination to begin the application process. We encourage school counselors and college access providers to nominate all eligible students they serve for consideration in The Upward Project’s 9th Cohort.
We will select the next cohort of Scholars in three nomination cycles:
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This year, we are excited to pilot a pre-nomination process to help counselors and students get a head start. Pre-nomination should be considered for your eligible students who submitted college applications through Early Decision, Early Action, or QuestBridge.
Pre-nominations will be reviewed before the Priority Cycle opens on January 5, and eligible students will receive an early invitation to apply.
The Benefit of Pre-NominationBeginning the nomination process earlier provides a longer window to complete Round 1 Applications before the February 13 deadline. Students can learn about The Upward Project, attend recruitment events (like our December virtual info session), and start preparing their application well before the Priority Cycle begins. This early start helps them submit a more thoughtful, competitive application.
Pre-nomination also supports counselors by reducing the January rush—your students will already be cleared to apply and ready to move forward in January. -
The Priority Cycle is ideal for students who have already solidified a college choice through Early Decision, Early Action, or QuestBridge applications.
Nominations will be open January 5 - February 6. During this time, nominators and students will be notified on an on rolling basis. We encourage you to submit nominations early to ensure both you and your students have ample time to complete Round 1 of the application by February 13.
We aim to fill 50-80% of the 9th Cohort through the Priority Cycle.
Please note: if we do not have sufficient college information for a student, they may be deferred to the Rolling Cycle. -
The Rolling Cycle is ideal for students applying through Regular Decision and for those whose nominations were deferred from the Priority Cycle. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the 9th Cohort is filled.
We look forward to learning more about the incredible students you’ll nominate!
Nomination Process
STEP 1 - Review Student Eligibility
To be considered for our Scholar program, students must meet the following criteria:
- Identify as a high-achieving high school student
- Come from a low-income household
- Be a first-generation college student in the US
- Be a U.S. citizen, eligible non-citizen, or lawful permanent resident
- Live in the Greater Boston area within a commutable distance to downtown Boston
- Not already a part of an organization with duplicative college & career success advising (including, but not limited to: Thrive, Posse, and Minds Matter)
- Be available for in-person programming in June 2026 (6/10 & 6/15-6/30)
- Plan to enroll at a four-year college or university in Fall 2026 with strong financial aid support
We will evaluate every application on a case-by-case basis, but the following metrics from our current Scholars give an indication of our selection criteria:
- Average high school GPA (unweighted 4-point scale): 3.8
- Average SAT: 1300 (roughly equivalent to a 28 on the ACT scale)
- Average EFC (now known as SAI) is $1,600 and 67% of Scholars have an EFC of $0. Generally, our scholars are pell-eligible and 71% of Cohort VII Scholars received the maximum Pell Grant for SY2024-2025.
- Current Scholars are enrolled in selective schools, including Bates, Dartmouth, Harvard, BU, Tufts, and Northeastern.
Step 2 - Nominate A student
School-Based Counselors or College Access Providers must submit the form below with basic student information and eligibility confirmation.
We strongly encourage nominators to submit their nominations as early as possible. Doing so gives both you and your student ample time to complete the next steps.
Nominations for The Upward Project's Rolling Cycle are now open! We will continue reviewing applications until we reach full Cohort capacity for 2026.
Step 3 - students are invited to apply
TUP will reach out to let nominators know which students are invited to apply, and information on next steps for both students and nominators.
Step 4 - APPLICATIONS ROUND 1
During round 1, students will complete the initial application, and nominators are responsible for the following documents:
- Transcript
- Counselor and Teacher Recommendations from College Apps
- High School Profile
- Student Strength & Growth Assessment
QUESTIONS?
Send us an email at applications@theupwardproject.org
Application Timeline
Application decisions are made on a rolling basis within each cycle. The entire application process generally takes 4-6 weeks.
Key Dates 2026
Monday, January 5 – Nominations for Priority Cycle open
Friday, February 6 – Nominations Priority Cycle close
Friday, February 13 – Round 1: Nominator materials due
Friday, February 13 – Round 1: Student applications due
Friday, February 27 – Round 2: Student applications due
Weeks of March 2nd & March 9th – Round 3: Student Interviews
Monday, March 16 – Nominations for Rolling Cycle open
Wednesday, June 10 – Scholar orientation
June 15–29 – Summer Intensive, 2-week full-time programming (weekdays, excluding Juneteenth)
Submit a Nomination:
The Upward Project’s Rolling Cycle is now open!
In this application cycle, we will be reviewing applications as we receive them until we reach full capacity for our 2026 Cohort 9. Deadlines for Rounds 1 & 2 will be within a week of advancing to the next stage. Please submit all materials as soon as possible, and email applications@theupwardproject.org with any questions.