Aim High is committed to helping students reach for their dreams, and this year, an Aim High pilot program is helping students who dream of admission to San Francisco’s top high schools. 25 students are enrolled in the program, which meets for four hours each weekend for 10 weeks in the fall and winter.  Most of the students are currently 8th graders and are preparing to apply for admission this year, though a few 7th graders are taking advantage of the program to get a head start. 10 hours of small-group SSAT prep from tutoring firm Tutorpedia, along with workshops and personal coaching on interview skills, writing personal statements, and applying for financial aid, will help students navigate the rigorous application processes for their top-choice schools, which include Lick-Wilmerding High School, The Urban School, Archbishop Riordan High School, Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, and Lowell High School. Aim High partners A Better Chance, Tutorpedia, and 826 Valencia, as well as high school admissions counselors from Urban, Lick-Wilmerding, and Rooftop Charter Middle School, have provided invaluable support and resources to help develop the program. Volunteers Elizabeth Gadbaw and Stu Woo – both of whom have served at Aim High as teachers – assist with workshops and coaching. The program is already helping Aim High students confidently pursue admission to top schools.  “Interview skills came in really handy last Sunday at the School Fair, writes one parent.  “Audrey got some tips from Stu last Saturday and used them in her interview on Sunday… the interviewer was very impressed!” While the Aim High summer program helps lay a strong foundation for success in high school and beyond, connecting students to high schools and other resources that will support their success beyond middle school is another way that Aim High can help low-income youth succeed and thrive.