Our acclaimed College Preparation & Placement Program was founded in the 1960s by the late Silas Purnell. This trailblazed our amazing legacy of helping high school seniors secure the financial resources they need to realize their dream of obtaining a post-secondary education. The program has since expanded its services to begin preparing them for college as early 6th grade by partnering with Chicago Public Schools. We encourage and support their educational pursuits through tutoring and mentoring, academic and career counseling, college tours, college placement, in addition to helping them obtaining financial aid and scholarships.

By the year 2008, former Chicago Bear Revie Sorey had joined our team as Educational Services Director. Revie began his quest to support college-bound seniors through Trunk Scholarships after learning they were burdened by the expenses of dorm room and school supplies not covered by grants and scholarships. Through trunk donations over the last 17 years, hundreds of students have been able to begin their college journey prepared, confident, and focused on their goal of obtaining a post-secondary education.

To date, Ada S. McKinley’s College Preparation & Placement Program has placed more than 75,000 graduating seniors in more than 400 colleges and universities throughout the United States and helped them secure hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships.

In 2024, the Educational Services Team at Ada S. McKinley secured over $20 million in scholarships for students who entered college this past fall. The Trunk Scholarships covered their added living and learning expenses so they could begin their college journey prepared, confident, and focused on their goal of obtaining a post-secondary education.

For more information about our College Preparation & Placement Program and/or Trunk Scholarships, contact Lauren Youngblood at 312-221-9303 or [email protected].