Thank you for being a part of this growing community. As the summer unfolds, we’re excited to share that student-coach matches are slowly and thoughtfully beginning to take root. If you haven’t been matched yet, don’t worry! Most coaches are still waiting, and our team will continue to make matches through early fall. We take great care in cultivating each pairing, with the goal of fostering relationships that are grounded in trust, generosity of spirit, and lasting impact.

Monthly Goals

August 31, 2025

Check SAT/ACT Test Policies

October 1, 2025

Finalize your College List

Expand your Horizons

Prepare for Admission to UCs and CSUs

Head over to our College-Ready Milestones page to learn more about available resources and deadlines.

Coach Orientation

We're thrilled to have you join our community. To help you get started, we invite you to attend one of our upcoming coach orientation sessions. During this orientation, you will meet ScholarMatch Staff, connect with fellow coaches, access tools and resources you need to get started, and much more! Each session includes the same information, so feel free to choose the one that best fits your schedule. They are also recorded for your convenience.

July 29, 2025, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. PDT

August 20, 2025, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. PDT

September 30, 2025, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. PDT

Announcements

Check back for any upcoming annoncements

Quick Links

Coach FAQ
Volunteer Handbook
College Coach Onboarding Modules
Student Support Playbook
Multiple Missing Coach Reports FAQ (c/o 2025)
SFFA SCOTUS Decision Document

College Toolkit

Checkout our comprehensive college toolkit filled with resources to help you support your Students.

College Toolkit

Scholarships

This month, we’re including a list of scholarships with July & August Scholarship Deadlines—however, we always recommend finding local scholarships since students will have higher chances of receiving those awards. Along with this, Immigrants Rising has a scholarship list for undocumented students.

Quick Links

July & August Scholarship Deadlines
Scholarships for Undocumented Students
ACT Academy
College Application Tracker
Khan Academy SAT Prep
List-building resources
Standardized Testing Guide
ScholarMatch Advising Playbook
Monthly Scholarship List
Undocumented student campus resources
Colleges that meet full need
American Talent Initiative Schools (ATI)
Federal Student Aid Estimator
FAFSA Hub
A Focus on Improving the FAFSA® Experience
Common App

ScholarMatch Webinars

I'm a Former College Admissions Counselor: Ask Me Anything (Hosted by ScholarMatch coach Kimberly Johnson)

Wednesday, Jul 9, 2025 4:00-5:00 p.m. (PST)

Calling all high school seniors and college coaches! Have you ever wondered what a former college admissions counselor looks for when reviewing a college admissions application? Join us for a webinar with ScholarMatch coach Kimberly A. Johnson, former college admissions counselor, to discuss do’s and don’ts for college essays, college applications, and what matters the most to college admissions counselors.

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Upcoming External Webinars

Explore Crucial College Admissions Topics (Hosted by the Princeton Review)

Wednesday, July 9, 5:00-6:30 p.m. (PST)
A webinar series designed to help you navigate the college admissions process with confidence. You’ll gain expert insights into the latest admissions trends, receive proven strategies to strengthen your applications, and take part in personalized Q&A sessions with admissions professionals. Whether you're just getting started or refining your final steps, this series is here to support your journey to college success.

How to Write the UC Personal Insight Questions Crash Course (Hosted by the College Essay Guy)

Monday, Jul 14 or Wednesday, July 16, 3:00-5:00 p.m. (PST)
This crash course by the College Essay Guy offers students a step-by-step guide to understanding the University of California’s Personal Insight Questions and Activities List. This session is part of a program designed for high schools, community-based organizations, and nonprofits to support their students. CEG LIVE also offers a series of virtual summer college essay boot camps designed to help students craft outstanding college essays and applications.

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Other Webinars & Training Opportunities

We are partnering with uAspire to provide financial aid training webinars for this program year. Missed the live Webinars? That’s alright! We have you covered with the recording below:

uAspire CSS Profile Completion Part 1 & Part 2, Materials
FAFSA Completion Part 1 & Part 2, MATERIALS
uAspire: FAFSA Follow-Up and Verification, Materials
uAspire: Financial Aid Offer Review, Materials

Would You like to Lead a Webinar?

We are excited to announce the launch of our 2025-26 Coach-led Webinars series! If you are interested in leading a webinar, please apply here.

Quick Links

Want to be a Varsity Coach?

A varsity college coach is a coach who has expertise in one or more of the following:

Personal Statement best practices
Financial aid: FAFSA - particularly in demand!
Financial aid: CSS profile - particularly in demand!
Building a balanced college list - particularly in demand!
Supporting undocumented students
Supporting STEM students

And is willing to share that expertise with other coaches via the communication method of their choice (email, text, phone calls, video calls, etc.) Does this sound like a good fit for you? Then submit an application below!

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Varsity Coach Interest Form

Want to Lead a Webinar?

We are excited to announce the launch of our Coach-led Webinar series. If you are interested in leading a webinar, hosting a Q&A, or participating in a panel discussion, we are currently accepting webinar interest forms for the fall. We are looking forward to working more closely with our coach community to offer students the holistic support that meets their diverse needs. If you are interested in leading a webinar, please apply below and we will be in touch.

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Share Student Stories!

Have a student story you want to share! Please click below and share with us.

ScholarMatch Story & Spotlight

Quick Links

Connect with Other Coaches via Community Platforms

Join our Community Platforms!‍

Connect with fellow coaches in our vibrant community. Join our LinkedIn group to share tips and suggestions and build community with other passionate individuals dedicated to mentoring students. We also recommend posting your questions (and celebrations) on our Coach Listserv.

Coach Coffee Chat Dates

We’ve change our Office Hours to a more informal “Coffee Chat”.

Join us on Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 3:00-4:00 p.m. (PST) to chat with ScholarMatch staff and other coaches regarding any questions you may have about advising, finding resources, or just for a quick pulse check. Coffee is not required, but we hope you’ll drop in!

Don’t forget to add these upcoming dates to your calendar:
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025 11:00-12:00 p.m. (PST)

Student Communication and Engagement

Have you been matched with a student who isn’t responding? Has your scholar gone radio silent after you began working together? Is your student rescheduling all your meetings? We know from precedent that this unfortunately happens with a small number of our students each year, so we’ve created a few guides to help you out and clarify our expectations.

Student Engagement and Communication Norms

Unresponsive Student Protocol (c/o 2025)

Unresponsive Student Form (c/o 2025)

Quick Links

Forum Email Listserv
Coach LinkedIn Group
Coach Varsity Gallery

Training and Onboarding Timeline

PROCESS

DEADLINE

Training and Onboarding Period

March - May

Final day to submit all onboarding materials

May 31

Coach Orientation Session on Zoom*

June

Match with a student and begin coaching until June 2025

July - August

* = will be recorded and posted to the coach resource page

LiveScan Information

All ScholarMatch volunteers must go through a criminal background check before working with students. Live Scan is a digital fingerprinting service. Your fingerprints will be securely sent to the DOJ and FBI to run a criminal background check.

Live Scan appointments take about 10-15 minutes to complete and are only required once for you to maintain your eligibility to volunteer with ScholarMatch.

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LiveScan Instructions

Volunteer Handbook

We’re so happy you’ve decided to join us in the fight for educational equity! With your help, we are making college possible for students in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the country. As a ScholarMatch volunteer, you are joining a community of dedicated professionals committed to supporting students to and through college.

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Collectively, our volunteer community has an incredible wealth of experience and expertise in all college-related topics. Whether you’re a seasoned professional in college access or coming to this work from another field, we’re excited to have you join us!

Review the Handbook

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find my Coach ID?

You can find your Coach ID in the emails you received from ScholarMatch (advising@scholarmatch.org).

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I need more time to complete my training modules, who do I contact?

If you need more time to complete the training modules, please email volunteer@scholarmatch.org.

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Do I have to complete the training if I am an independent education consultant (IEC) or work in a field related to college access and admissions?

If you have previous experience in college access and admissions and would like to waive the training modules, please complete our Training Module Waiver Form. Please note that completing this form does not automatically waive the training modules. Our team will review your submission and be in touch to let you know if we can advance you directly to our onboarding module.

Please review our Pre-Training College Coach FAQs for additional information. If you have any other questions or would like to speak with a member of the ScholarMatch staff, please email volunteer@scholarmatch.org.

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Quick Links

Coach Training Modules
LiveScan Instructions
Volunteer Handbook

You got matched? Now what?

Join our community platforms:
Coach listserv

LinkedIn group

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Review resources, watch webinars, and continue learning to make sure you’re prepared to work with your student:

Available resources

College Ready Milestones

College Toolkit

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Instagram

Facebook

PROGRAM Updates and Resources

Webinars

The Impact of Universal FAFSA - What Research Tells Us (hosted by NCAN)
Date: Wednesday, June 11
Time: 11:00 - 12:15 p.m. (PDT)
Where: Register here
Panelists Sayda Martinez-Alvarado from The Education Trust and Peter Granville from The Century Foundation will unpack key takeaways for state leaders, K-12 and postsecondary practitioners, and policymakers. Whether your state already has a universal FAFSA policy or is considering implementing one, this session will provide evidence-based insights to guide its development and support student success.

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Self-Regulation and the Skills Students Need to Stay on Track (hosted by NCAN)
Date: Wednesday, June 25
Time: 11:00 - 12:00 p.m. (PDT)
Where: Register here
Helping students reach college is just the beginning! Supporting them to stay on course once they get there is equally important. In the final webinar of the NCAN series with Dr. Mandy Savitz-Romer, they'll focus on the essential role of self-regulation in college access and success.

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Monthly Goals

August 31, 2025

Explore College Fit and Match

August 31, 2025

Check SAT/ACT Test Policies

Refer a Student

How to help:

If you know of any students located in San Francisco or Oakland who meet our eligibility criteria and would be a good fit for our program, please refer them to our Destined for College San Francisco application.
Refer students to our website for more information.

Monthly Resources

Unresponsive Student Guide

Student Engagement Guide

Unresponsive Student Protocol (c/o 2025)

Unresponsive Student Form (c/o 2025)

ScholarMatch Resources

Coach Resource Page
College Toolkit
Student Support Playbook

Other Resources & Scholarships

College Application Tracker
List Building Resources
Building Rapport with Your Student Guide
American Talent Initiative (ATI)
Balanced College List Review Feedback
College Spotlight
College Greenlight Fly-in Programs List
Monthly Scholarship List

EVENTS & WORKSHOPS

PROGRAM CALENDAR

View upcoming events below.

MEET OUR COMMUNITY

VARSITY COLLEGE COACHES

Join a network of passionate individuals dedicated to guiding students through their educational journeys. Share experiences, exchange insights, and collaborate with like-minded changemakers to empower students towards academic success and beyond. Together, we make a difference!

The view below is password protected, please reach out to advising@scholarmatch.org for the password.

Subscribe to our Coach Email List

Join our Coach Linkedin Group

COLLEGE COACHES

Program Report Form

Calendar

Varsity Coaches

PROGRAM Info

Check SAT/ACT Test Policies

Finalize your College List

Expand your Horizons

Prepare for Admission to UCs and CSUs

PROGRAM Updates and Resources

PROGRAM CALENDAR

VARSITY COLLEGE COACHES

CONNECT WITH US