Graduate Support Program

Our School

The GSP is an essential component of St. Ignatius School, offering academic, social, and financial support to SIS alumni in high school and college. It includes counseling, job search assistance, skill-building events, community service, career awareness opportunities, and college counseling to ensure persistence and success in high school and college.

High School Placement

The GSP guides SIS seventh-grade and eighth-grade students and families through the high school application and selection process to ensure each student attends the most suitable high school for their academic and personal growth. It organizes high school fairs, provides TACHS exam test prep and registration, assists with high school applications, and advocates for SIS students with high school admissions teams.

Additionally, the GSP provides crucial tuition assistance, bridging the financial gap for families, and enhancing Catholic high school access in NYC.

Each year, we honor two eighth-grade graduates with The SIS Charles Lawrence Keith and Clara Miller Award. The graduates are chosen based on their exceptional leadership skills and are identified as exceptional student ambassadors for the GSP.

High School Success

The GSP stays engaged with SIS graduates in high school by keeping in regular communication with students and high school counselors and providing academic and social-emotional support as needed. Additionally, the GSP helps families reapply for financial aid each year and connects students with service and summer employment opportunities. Our support has led to a 97% high school graduation rate over the past ten years.

# of SIS alums in high school supported in 2024-2025

0 %

SIS High School 4-Year Graduation Rate

Graduation Rate 97%

0 %

Bronx HS Graduation Rate (2018)*

Graduation Rate 70%

0 %

Hunts Point HS Graduation Rate (2018)*

Graduation Rate 58%

Source: US Census American Community Survey 2018 via Open Data Network

College Access

The GSP offers college counseling services to assist high school juniors and seniors in their journey toward post-secondary education. This includes organizing college visits, helping with SAT/ACT test preparation and registration, creating college lists, providing application and essay support, guiding families through the financial aid application process, and offering scholarship recommendations and nominations. The GSP also hosts an annual “College Send-Off” event that celebrates our high school graduates while providing additional workshops and panels to help ensure a smooth transition to college.

College Persistence

The GSP offers SIS alumni the resources and guidance needed to successfully transition to and complete their post-secondary education. The GSP also supports students considering alternative paths after high school. College persistence programming includes assistance in college course selection, degree planning, financial aid renewals and appeals, connecting students to campus and local community resources, scholarships, and networking opportunities.

Early Career Awareness and Leadership Opportunities

The GSP leverages the extensive SIS community network to link graduates with internship and career development opportunities across various industries. GSP staff help arrange for resume feedback, informational interviews and job shadows, supporting applications to internships and career programs, and offering guidance in exploring and discerning potential career paths.

Career Awareness and Community Collaboration

SIS works with our extensive network of supporters and community partners to provide GSP participants with access to various career awareness opportunities throughout the year.

Alumni Engagement

The GSP fosters alumni engagement through events such as the Annual Alumni Brunch, which has seen a growing number of SIS high school and college students participate. Each year, we bestow the Vienchy Reyes Recognition Award to an outstanding member of the SIS community who inspires the entire alumni network. In the coming year, we aim to integrate the SIS Young Professionals affinity group with SUS alumni in joint events to foster collaboration and contribute to the school’s overall growth.

GSP Sub-Committee

In light of the ongoing success and demand for the SIS GSP, the SIS Board of Trustees officially established a GSP subcommittee as a permanent Committee to the Board in June 2024. This subcommittee is dedicated to recommending enhancements for the GSP to address the evolving needs of our growing alumni base. The subcommittee will provide guidance to the faculty and staff as they strive to enrich the GSP’s mission of offering comprehensive support, as well as fostering vital networking and mentorship opportunities for career development.

Our Graduates

SIS graduates are accepted to public and private high schools, including:

All Hallows High School
Cardinal Hayes High School
Cathedral High School
Cristo Rey NY High School
Dominican Academy
Fairfield Prep
Fordham Prep
Horace Mann
LaGuardia High School
Loyola High School
Monsignor Scanlan High School
Mt. St. Michael Academy
Regis High School
Salesian High School
St. Catherine Academy
St. Jean Baptiste High School
St. Raymond High School for Boys
St. Raymond Academy for Girls
St. Vincent Ferrer
School of the Holy Child
The Ursuline School
Xavier High School

97% continue on to colleges, including:, virtually all becoming the first members of their families to do so. Their alma maters include:

Boston College
Bucknell University
College of the Holy Cross
Colgate University
Depauw University
Fordham University
Hunter College
Iona University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Loyola University Chicago
Manhattan College
Marist College
New York University
Penn State University
Providence College
Quinnipiac University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Scranton College
St. Francis College
St. John's University
Siena College
Skidmore College
Stony Brook University
University at Albany (SUNY)
Binghamton University (SUNY)
State University of New York Oswego (SUNY)
Syracuse University
Trinity College
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
West Chester University

Contact Information

Jai Luciano
Director of Graduate Support
jluciano@sis-nativity.org

St. Ignatius School