About Us
We believe college readiness is one of the most powerful ways for students to boost their future prospects, and our vision is that every student, regardless of race or income, has the knowledge, skills, and motivation to overcome barriers in the pursuit of their postsecondary aspirations. Over 15 years, we’ve sharpened our role within a powerful education and community ecosystem to advance student, district, and state education goals.
As a mission-driven nonprofit, we help students succeed on college and career readiness assessments to unlock better opportunities after high school.
Our Path Forward
CollegeSpring imagines a world in which our program is systemically embedded inside the education system through teachers–particularly in schools with a high concentration of poverty and a majority of students who are well below the national test score average.
We are proving the value of systemic scale by strategically expanding into states like Texas and Michigan where graduation requirements and accountability metrics are directly tied to the SAT, ACT, and/or TSIA2. In Texas, these tests are significant for the state’s Building a Talent Strong Texas plan that aims for 60% of young Texans to hold a postsecondary credential by 2030 and for 2019 House Bill 3 legislation that provides a strong financial incentive to districts if they meet certain score benchmarks. In Michigan, the SAT is part of statewide assessments and high school teachers are ultimately evaluated based on student score improvement.
Check out our Spotlight on Detroit and Spotlight on Texas to learn more!
Our Story
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2008
Two Stanford University students, Garrett Neiman and Jessica Perez, recognized the need for accessible, inclusive test prep and founded CollegeSpring with a focus on the SAT starting in 11th grade. In 2012 we expanded to Southern California, and in 2014 began serving high schools and community-based organizations in New York.
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2017
Dr. Yoon S. Choi became CEO of CollegeSpring and led our organization through a strategic planning process, reflecting on our successes and learnings over the past 10 years. Under her leadership, CollegeSpring has become the premier nonprofit test prep provider and rapidly expanded through its virtual program across 10 states and DC.
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2020
CollegeSpring met the challenges posed by the pandemic by:
- Supporting educators who faced burnout and resource shortages with lesson plans, training & coaching.
- Providing early intervention to students who were disproportionately impacted more time to fill learning gaps.
- Creating a robust Learning Management System that adapts to the new digital formats of standardized tests.
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CollegeSpring Today
CollegeSpring has developed a robust suite of programs to meet the needs of diverse students, including the Digital SAT, ACT, and TSIA2 (Texas Success Initiative Assessment).
These programs help more students increase access to scholarships and eliminate roadblocks to career and college success through dual enrollment or placement out of remediation.
Our Values
We are committed to reducing inequities, building educator capacity, and supporting partners to achieve their goals.
Excellence Is Our Standard.
We believe in the potential of people, the power of ambitious goals, and supporting each other to achieve excellence.
Learning Drives Us.
Every day we learn, improve, adapt, and make the changes that propel our progress.
Challenges Are Opportunities.
A can-do attitude and growth mindset can overcome adversity and move mountains.
Relationships Fuel Impact.
Accountability, trust, and communication are the cornerstones of the internal and external relationships which make our impact possible.
Agency is Our Aim.
We promote student readiness and empower them with choice.
CollegeSpring's IDEA
(Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism)
We envision a world where every individual has the opportunity to grow and be respected as a student, professional, and person, regardless of their culture, background, or creed.
- We focus on standardized exams as a key lever of opportunity for students who are underrepresented in higher education.
- We believe that embedding test preparation into the school day and through existing college preparation programs allows for systemic change.
- We build our education system’s capacity by investing in teachers and instructors through professional development, resources, and data.
- We commit to creating the same opportunities for growth and respect for CollegeSpring employees.
Our Expansion
CollegeSpring’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan heightens our story by doubling down on our core competency: high-quality SAT, TSIA2, and ACT preparation. With a fresh perspective on what we can accomplish for students, we developed a plan that prioritizes impact, sustainability, and scale.
Highlights From Our Strategic Plan
A key component of our Strategic Plan is our expansion into Texas and Michigan, two states where graduation requirements and accountability metrics are directly tied to the SAT, ACT, and/or TSIA2. In Texas, these tests are significant for Texas’ 60x30TX plan that aims for 60% of young Texans to hold a postsecondary credential by 2030, and for 2019 House Bill 3 legislation that provides a strong financial incentive to districts if they meet certain score benchmarks.
In Michigan, the SAT is a statewide assessment and high school graduation requirement, and teachers are evaluated based on student score improvement. CollegeSpring’s equity-focused test prep program can help Texas and Michigan students raise their test scores and open doors to increased educational and economic opportunity.
Learn more about our expansion into new markets through our Spotlights
