The In-House Program is a free college access program serving students and families in the Greater Newark area. We provide 7 years of programming (grades 6-12) to support students in developing the academic and social-emotional skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond.

Families also play a meaningful role in building our community by attending family meetings, community-wide events, and workshops throughout the year.

Students and families commit to:

• A 5-week academic enrichment summer program starting in July.

• 15 Saturday sessions, October-May.

• 2 days of afterschool programming each week, October-May.

• NJ LEEP high school graduates continue to receive support throughout their time at college or university as they experience a new chapter in life via our College Student Success Program.

• Current 5th grade students in the Greater Newark Area

  • Students in grades 6-11 may also apply, but space is limited.

• Students who are first-generation and/or low-income

  • We define first-generation students as those whose parents did not complete a four-year college or university degree in the United States.

  • We define low-income as an income of $90,000 or below for a family of four (for each additional household member, we add $5,000 to the threshold).

Applications are online through our website.

The priority deadline is February 8, 2027

• This will also be the final deadline for current 11th grade students due to limited space.

The final deadline for all other grades is April 5, 2027

The steps to apply are:

Step 1: Documents and Student Essay

Before completing the application, you will need:

• A copy of your student’s most recent report card

  • We may request an updated report card later in the school year.

• A copy of your student’s transcript (10th and 11th grade only)

• A sample student schedule (8th-11th grade only)

  • Instructions for how to complete the schedule are included in the links below. Please download, print, or recreate one schedule. You can also contact the recruitment team to pick up a printed copy from our office.

  • Sample Schedule 1 – NJ LEEP Programming Mondays and Wednesdays

  • Sample Schedule 2 – NJ LEEP Programming Tuesdays and Thursdays

• The first page of the parent(s)’s/guardian(s)’s 2025 tax return (IRS 1040 or other).

• A student written essay

Students currently in 5th-7th grade should write 2-3 paragraphs. Students currently in 8th-11th grade should write 4-5 paragraphs. Answer one of the following prompts in the essay:

1. The lessons we learn from obstacles we encounter can be important for our future success. Tell us about a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

2. Tell us about an accomplishment, event, or idea that caused you to change how you think about yourself and the world.

3. Tell us about your future career goals and how a college education will help you achieve these goals and how attending college will change your family’s story?

Please save all documents, including the essay, as a Google Doc, Word Doc, PDF, or picture.

Step 2: Application

Our application is an online Google Form you can complete here. Please upload the documents from Step 1 into the form. The student and at least one parent/guardian should complete the application together since there are questions for both to answer.

Step 3: Teacher Recommendation

Students are required to have a recommendation form from one math, ELA, science, or social studies teacher they have this year. Please send the link to the Teacher Recommendation Form to the teacher of your choice:

https://forms.gle/UfDQwsjRh4NEnsm37

Step 4: Family Interview

The Recruitment Team will reach out to schedule a virtual family interview after the rest of your application is complete. The interview will be 30-45 minutes with the student and at least one parent/guardian.