Educational Talent Search

Educational Talent Search (ETS) is one of the federally funded TRIO programs designed to serve youth who have the potential to succeed in college but who are educationally and economically disadvantaged. The Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. operates ETS in three cities, including Worcester, New Bedford and Springfield. More than 800 students in grades 7 through 12 are served every year, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that they graduate from high school and successfully enroll in a postsecondary program appropriate to their interests and abilities. In most cases these students are the first in their families to go on to college. In many cases they are the first to graduate from high school. The ETS college placement rate is typically about 93 percent.

ETS Services

ETS services can begin in the 7th grade, with the goal of making students and their parents aware that college is within their reach. Via a variety of well-planned and executed activities (including college visits, career awareness activities, tutoring and personal guidance), students become aware of the importance of a higher education to their future success. Parents become involved in the process early on, and are encouraged to support their children in pursuit of higher education.

Students in grades 7 and 8 concentrate on career awareness, coming to understand their own interests and abilities, and the wide variety of career options available to them. ETS helps them to make the link between post-secondary education and their future career goals.

Grades 9 and 10 students concentrate on academics, with ETS advisors ensuring that the students are taking the right sequence of courses to enable them to enroll in college upon graduation from high school. Tutoring assistance, test-taking workshops, and other support services are provided to guarantee academic success.

Students in grades 11 and 12 are involved in the college selection and admissions process. Field trips to colleges, college search advising, college essay-writing workshops, and the all-important financial aid information and application assistance are examples of the myriad of services provided to ETS students to ensure successful enrollment.

ETS Locations

The Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. operates ETS programs at targeted schools in Worcester, New Bedford and Springfield.

Worcester

• Burncoat Senior High School (Federal TRIO Program)
• South High Community School (Federal TRIO Program)
• Doherty Memorial High School (ETS model, financially supported by Worcester Public Schools)
• Worcester Technical High School (ETS model, financially supported by Worcester Public Schools)
• Sullivan Middle School (Federal TRIO Program)

New Bedford

• Keith Middle School
• New Bedford High School

Springfield

• Springfield Science and Technology High School
• Central High School