College Planning

The college application and admissions process is not easy to unravel without help, particularly for students who were not raised in a college-bound culture. These are facts that Carla Shere, Ed.D., who has run the College Planning Program at Learning Leaders since 2001, knows well.

Carla Shere at Learning Leaders Special Programs Recognition event

Shere has quite literally written the book on College Planning (Learning Leaders’ College Planning Guide, which she updates every two years), and she’s built the program in its current form from the ground up. Shere is motivated primarily by her ability to serve a need in the community. “Out of everything we do,” Shere says, “I’d say the most important is giving the students options. We have the time to sit down one-on-one and let students know what is available to them. I think that’s where we are especially helpful.”

When Shere says “we,” she means the 72 College Planning volunteers, who together work with over 3,000 students at 64 sites throughout the five boroughs. She has trained and mentored all of her volunteers. “I love the volunteers,” Shere says, “They’re all such sharp people. They have an innate sense and care about the students they work with.”

For more information or to become a College Planning volunteer, contact Carla Shere at 646-519-8362 or cshere@learningleaders.org