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Welcome to the Breakthrough Twin Cities Student Application 2023-2024


For questions about the application & remaining spots, contact:

Eastern Carver County: Emma Silkey, esilkey@breakthroughtwincities.org
Saint Paul: Solina Nhil, snhil@breakthroughtwincities.org


Breakthrough Twin Cities is forming its next class of students and making a commitment to help these students get to college! Our goal is to identify young people who will benefit from and who will take full advantage of the opportunities that Breakthrough Twin Cities offers.
BTClocations  
Si quiere ver la aplicación en español, haz clic aquí (esta página se cerrará).

Application Timeline

* APPLICATION DEADLINE *

Application EARLY ACTION Decision Deadline: December 8th, 2023

Application REGULAR Decision Deadline: March 11th, 2024

Application ROLLING Decision Deadline: April-May 2024
Early Action Decision

  • October
    • Application Open: October 9th
  • November/December
    • Apply Night/Family Information meetings
  • December
    • Early Action applications due: December 8th
    • Students are selected
  • January
    • Early acceptance letters are sent home
    • New Student Orientation
      • January 15
      • January 22
      • January 29 (virtual)

Regular Decision

  • February
    • Apply Night/Family Information meetings
  • March
    • Regular Decision applications due: March 11th
    • Students are selected
  • April
    • Acceptance letters are sent home
    • New Student Orientation
      • April 10
      • April 17
      • April 24 (virtual)

Rolling Decision

  • April/May
    • Acceptance based on space
Early Action Decision

  • October
    • Application Open: October 9th
  • November/December
    • Apply Night/Family Information meetings
  • December
    • Early Action applications due: December 8th
    • Students are selected
  • January
    • Early acceptance letters are sent home
    • New Student Orientation: There will be two in-person and one virtual orientation during the month of January. Dates TBD.

Regular Decision

  • February
    • Apply Night/Family Information meetings
  • March
    • Regular Decision applications due: March 11th
    • Students are selected
  • April
    • Acceptance letters are sent home
    • New Student Orientation: There will be two in-person and one virtual orientation during the month of April. Dates TBD.

Rolling Decision

  • April/May
    • Acceptance based on space
Breakthrough Twin Cities students
  1. Demonstrate motivation to learn, work hard, and find their own unique path to college. 
  2. Appreciate differences in others and seek to learn more about others’ points of view. 
  3. Show respect towards peers and adults and work to make Breakthrough a great place for everyone. 
  4. Are willing to accept feedback and understand that being challenged and even failing occasionally is part of learning. 
  5. Know that getting to college takes a lot of work and are fully committed to the 6 year program. 

In addition, Breakthrough Twin Cities students typically meet two or more of the following criteria:
  • Are the first in their families to graduate from a four-year college
  • Qualify for free and reduced lunch
  • Speak a language other than English at home 
  • Are from a single-parent family 
  • Identify as a racial or ethnic minority group that is under-represented in college
Breakthrough Twin Cities students
  1. Demonstrate motivation to learn, work hard, and find their own unique path to college. 
  2. Appreciate differences in others and seek to learn more about others’ points of view. 
  3. Show respect towards peers and adults and work to make Breakthrough a great place for everyone. 
  4. Are willing to accept feedback and understand that being challenged and even failing occasionally is part of learning. 
  5. Know that getting to college takes a lot of work and are fully committed to the 6 year program. 

In addition, Breakthrough Twin Cities students typically meet one or more of the following criteria:
  • Are the first in their families to graduate from a four-year college
  • Qualify for free and reduced lunch
  • Speak a language other than English at home 
  • Are from a single-parent family 
  • Identify as a racial or ethnic minority group that is under-represented in college
IDENTITY AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Breakthrough Twin Cities collects demographic data for students in our program in order to be able to describe the communities we serve and better understand how we can improve our programming for participating families. We understand that ethnicity is a complex part of identity, involving such factors as nationality, cultural identities, faiths, language, and more. We use ethnicity data at the group level for reporting and analysis, and not on an individual level. We would never share a student’s ethnicity data outside of our program without your express permission as a family, and only for the purposes of sharing student success stories to gain support for the program.

It is helpful to us to collect this data, but we also respect the individual and family rights not to identify in this way. If you have any additional questions, please contact BTC staff at 612-562-6234 or snhil@breakthroughtwincities.org.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What commitments will I have to make to Breakthrough Twin Cities?
If you are accepted to Breakthrough Twin Cities as a student, you are expected to participate actively in the program starting the summer before seventh grade through the end of your senior year in high school.

What is the Breakthrough Summer 2024 schedule?
The Summer 2024 schedule is Monday through Friday, starting Wednesday, June 29th through August 5, 2024. We hold a celebration in the afternoon and evening of August 6. There will be no Breakthrough on July 4th. Due to transportation scheduling, there may be some alterations to this schedule—if so, we will notify families as soon as possible.

Is it OK to miss a few days of the program for vacation?
Daily attendance at Breakthrough Twin Cities is mandatory, except in cases of illness or vacations outside the local area. If your family is planning an extended vacation during the Breakthrough dates, you should talk to Breakthrough staff before applying to the program.

Where is Breakthrough Twin Cities?
Breakthrough Twin Cities has two sites in Saint Paul and one site in Eastern Carver County:

Mounds Park Academy Site: 2051 Larpenteur Ave E, St. Paul, MN 55109
Saint Paul Public Site: To Be Determined
Eastern Carver County Site: To Be Determined (Either Chaska or Chanhassen High School). 

Is transportation provided?
If you live in Saint Paul, buses will pick you up and drop you off at points near your homes. If you do not live in Saint Paul or change schools outside Saint Paul, families are responsible for arranging transportation to and from the program.

Are meals provided?
Yes. During the summer, we will provide breakfast, lunch, and a snack to all students. You may bring lunch if you desire.

How much does the program cost?
Breakthrough Twin Cities is free for students.

When do I find out if I am accepted?
Early decision applications are due by December 8, 2023.  Regular decision applications are due March 11, 2024.  BTC takes approximately two months to review all applications and notify families

What are the responsibilities of Breakthrough parents and guardians?
Parental support is very important for academic success and that holds true at Breakthrough Twin Cities. We will ask for your support in ensuring that your child attends the program every day and does their homework consistently.


* APPLICATION DEADLINE *

Application EARLY ACTION Decision Deadline: December 8th, 2023

Application REGULAR Decision Deadline: March 11th, 2024

Application ROLLING Decision Deadline: April-May 2024
IDENTITY AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Breakthrough Twin Cities collects demographic data for students in our program in order to be able to describe the communities we serve and better understand how we can improve our programming for participating families. We understand that ethnicity is a complex part of identity, involving such factors as nationality, cultural identities, faiths, language, and more. We use ethnicity data at the group level for reporting and analysis, and not on an individual level. We would never share a student’s ethnicity data outside of our program without your express permission as a family, and only for the purposes of sharing student success stories to gain support for the program.

It is helpful to us to collect this data, but we also respect the individual and family rights not to identify in this way. If you have any additional questions, please contact BTC staff at 952-451-4574 or esilkey@breakthroughtwincities.org.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What commitments will I have to make to Breakthrough Twin Cities?
If you are accepted to Breakthrough Twin Cities as a student, you are expected to participate actively in the program starting the summer before seventh grade through the end of your senior year in high school.

What is the Breakthrough Summer 2024 schedule?
The Summer 2024 schedule is Monday through Friday, starting Wednesday, June 29th through August 5, 2024. We hold a celebration in the afternoon and evening of August 6. There will be no Breakthrough on July 4th. Due to transportation scheduling, there may be some alterations to this schedule—if so, we will notify families as soon as possible.

Is it OK to miss a few days of the program for vacation?
Daily attendance at Breakthrough Twin Cities is mandatory, except in cases of illness or vacations outside the local area. If your family is planning an extended vacation during the Breakthrough dates, you should talk to Breakthrough staff before applying to the program.

Where is Breakthrough Twin Cities?
Breakthrough Twin Cities has two sites in Saint Paul and one site in Eastern Carver County:

Mounds Park Academy Site: 2051 Larpenteur Ave E, St. Paul, MN 55109
Saint Paul Public Site: To Be Determined
Eastern Carver County Site: To Be Determined (Either Chaska or Chanhassen High School). 

Is transportation provided?
Transportation is provided if you live within the Eastern Carver County School District Boundaries. If you do not, you are responsible for transporting to and from Breakthrough.

Are meals provided?
Yes. During the summer, we will provide breakfast, lunch, and a snack to all students. You may bring lunch if you desire.

How much does the program cost?
Breakthrough Twin Cities is free for students.

When do I find out if I am accepted?
Early decision applications are due by December 8, 2023.  Regular decision applications are due March 11, 2024.  BTC takes approximately two months to review all applications and notify families

What are the responsibilities of Breakthrough parents and guardians?
Parental support is very important for academic success and that holds true at Breakthrough Twin Cities. We will ask for your support in ensuring that your child attends the program every day and does their homework consistently.


* APPLICATION DEADLINE *

Application EARLY ACTION Decision Deadline: December 8th, 2023

Application REGULAR Decision Deadline: March 11th, 2024

Application ROLLING Decision Deadline: April-May 2024
STUDENT INFORMATION















SCHOOL INFORMATION






If you attend a St. Paul Public School you can likely find this 6-digit number on your student ID card and you may use it for school logins or lunch.





Wait!  Save your Progress...

Now that you've completed some basic information, practice saving your application so that you can come back to it later.  Don't worry, you can keep working on it right away, but we want you to see how it works so you can save a few times as you make progress!
Saving
Student Submission Portion

Please read through the options carefully and submit ONE of the following. 


Either a writing essay…or an express yourself piece! Read through each option carefully and choose the option that best shows Breakthrough who you are! If you are more creative and want to show your creativity, opt for doing an express yourself piece! If you are a great writer and are passionate about one of the prompts, I would go for the essay.


Student Submission - Express Yourself: 

This is an area to showcase your talents and creative side with Breakthrough! You are able to submit it in any form you please, whether that is making a TikTok about something you are passionate about, recording a spoken word, poem, or short story video. Or submitting a piece of art, sculpture you created, or something else that is important to you! 


If you are submitting an art piece of any kind, please either also submit a video or a paragraph describing what it is, why you are choosing to submit it to Breakthrough, and how it represents you and your passions. For examples follow this link: https://shorturl.at/cnpwU.
OR

Student Submission Essay: 

You can choose from these two essay prompts to complete for submission. The essay should be thoughtful and demonstrate your BEST writing! Please have the essay in a three-paragraph format (around 200-250 words). 


  1. Write about one accomplishment you are most proud of. Why was this accomplishment important to you? What other accomplishments do you hope to achieve in the future? 


OR


  1. Describe your dream job and what steps you would take in order to reach it.



Student Submission - Express Yourself!
If you would like to attach another item to show or tell us more about you, we would love to see your short story, poem, rap, drawing or other piece of creative work that showcases your talents.
Student Submission - Essay


STUDENT STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING

Another great time to save!

Phew!  That was a lot of writing!  Now would be another great time to save to be sure you don't lose any of the writing you just completed! Here's a reminder of how to save:
Saving
Parent(s)/Guardian(s): Please complete to the best of your ability. To learn more about
the information we ask for on this page, please read the information below the application checklist. Please know that if you decline to state any information, we may not be able to determine criteria we use to review student applications, and this may result in your student not being accepted into the program.
PARENT #1 INFORMATION




Please enter your STUDENT's address:





Please enter your address since you noted that it is different than the student:















PARENT #2 INFORMATION





If available, please enter the address since it is different than the student:














FAMILY INFORMATION















Why do we ask the above information?
We have found that best practice for Breakthrough Twin Cities staff and teaching fellows who work with your student throughout the summer and school year program is to be aligned with the techniques and strategies that work best in your student's normal school setting. Each student is different, and we have found it helpful to know what works best for your student.

Saving Instructions

Hi Parents/Guardians!  Your student learned how to save their application earlier in this process, but now that you've completed some important info we want to be sure you know how to do so as well just in case you need to step away from the application and come back later (but don't worry, you can keep working on it right now even after you save!).  We recommend that you use the same email and password to save that your student used earlier, if possible.  Here's how to save:
Saving

Parent/Guardian Short Answer Questions



Student & Family Expectations

Students & Parents/Guardians: Please review Breakthrough Twin Cities' expectations carefully. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please visit our website at www.breakthroughtwincities.org or contact the Program Manager for your location:

Saint Paul: Solina Nhil, 612-562-6234 or snhil@breakthroughtwincities.org

Eastern Carver County: Emma Silkey, 952-451-4574 or esilkey@breakthroughtwincities.org
Breakthrough Twin Cities will provide academic support throughout each student's program experience so that they can be best prepared for college and beyond. Students and parents recognize that participating in Breakthrough Twin Cities is a six-year commitment with the goal of four-year college acceptance. The Breakthrough Twin Cities program expectations are outlined below.
BTCExpectations

Middle School - Summer Program

During the summer before seventh grade, eighth grade, and ninth grade students attend the six-week Breakthrough Summer Program Monday through Friday. 


Middle School - School Year Program

Students will engage with Breakthrough staff once a month during their seventh and eighth grade school years. Engagement includes a hosted Breakthrough workshop, electronic messaging, phone calls, and/or individual visits made by staff. It is expected that students attend any workshops prevalent to their growth as Breakthrough students.



High School "College Bound" Program
Students will engage with Breakthrough staff once a month during their ninth and tenth grade school years. Breakthrough will provide individual college counseling to support students in their college search and the application process. Breakthrough Leaders Program (BLP), interns, tutors, and teachers will also be available throughout high school.


Family Involvement
Families play an important role in the program and help each student be successful. This includes supporting your student in their academic endeavors, in addition to participating in Breakthrough family events several times a year.


TRANSPORTATION for Saint Paul Sites
Partnering with Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Breakthrough Twin Cities provides transportation to and from the program at Mounds Park Academy and Central High School during both the summer and school year to those students who live within the Saint Paul Public School Boundaries. If you do not live within those districts or if your child leaves these boundaries after being enrolled in Breakthrough Twin Cities, you will be responsible for transportation to and from the program.
SPPS Map
SPPSMap
Note: If you are not sure if you live within SPPS bounds, please contact Breakthrough at learn@breakthroughtwincities.org with your address and we can determine that.


TRANSPORTATION for Eastern Carver County
Partnering with Eastern Carver County (ECC), Breakthrough Twin Cities provides transportation to and from the program during both the summer and school year to those students who live within the ECC district bounds. If you do not live within the ECC district or if your child leaves these boundaries after being enrolled in Breakthrough Twin Cities, you will be responsible for transportation to and from the program.
ECC Map
Map of ECC bounds
Note: If you are not sure if you live within ECC bounds, please contact Breakthrough at learn@breakthroughtwincities.org with your address and we can determine that.


PARENT STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING
I/We understand that Breakthrough Twin Cities requires the entire family to make a six-year commitment. My child must attend the middle school summer and school year program for two years, followed by participation in the high school program. I/We give permission for my/our sixth grader to apply and we will make sure they are an active participant throughout the program. 

Teacher Recommendations
As part of your application to Breakthrough Twin Cities, you will need TWO recommendation forms from teachers, mentors, coaches, or other adults who are NOT a family member, and who can tell us a variety of things about you. 

When you submit this application the Recommenders will automatically receive an email requesting that they complete the recommendation for you.  However, you can feel free to check in with them in a few days to be sure they got it and are able to submit it in a timely manner!
Recommender #1



Recommender #2




You are almost ready to submit an application to Breakthrough Twin Cities!  After you hit "Submit" below you will be directed to "Hello Sign" to complete the Student Information Release Form.  Once that form is submitted your application will be complete.  If a parent is not available to complete it right away, don't worry an email will also be sent to the Primary Parent/Guardian's email address to request a signature.


Alright, you're ready... go ahead and hit SUBMIT below!
You are almost ready to submit an application to Breakthrough Twin Cities!  After you hit "Submit" below you will be directed back to the Breakthrough Twin Cities website.  If you get an error that you're missing required fields, just click on the red numbered boxes at the top of the screen to see where you missed some information.  Once that's fixed you'll be able try submitting again.  An email confirmation will be sent to the Parent/Guardian #1 Email Address confirming successful submission.

Alright, you're ready... go ahead and hit SUBMIT below!
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