JCAS Through a Parent Lens

In the early 2013, my daughter received an email from the Joyce Ivy Foundation encouraging her to apply to become a Joyce Ivy Foundation Scholar. We had found that she received numerous emails from various colleges, scholarship organizations and several offers to become this scholar or that scholar, but there always seemed to be a catch. Many of the organizations would allow you to become part of an “elite” group of individuals for a fee but the Joyce Ivy Foundation proved to be different. With just a little bit of research, we found that the Joyce Ivy Foundation was a relatively new organization that encouraged young women to think outside the box and to apply to universities outside of their comfort zone. It is an organization that offers not just information, but encouragement, as well as emotional, physical and financial support for high achieving female sophomore, junior and senior high school students to help them achieve their dreams of attending a selective university.

Prior to the email, we had never heard of the Joyce Ivy Foundation, but decided it was worth the effort for my daughter to apply. In early spring, my daughter was notified that she was named a Joyce Ivy Scholar and the journey began. 

The notification email was followed by an invitation to attend the JCAS (Joyce Ivy College Admission Symposium) and our journey began. I say “our” because it was a collaborative effort for the family to make the journey to Ann Arbor, MI.  At the time, Ann Arbor seemed like a lifetime away from our small town in rural ND, but our family was grateful for the opportunity that our daughter was given, so we packed up the car and made the 13-hour drive to attend the symposium as well as the gala honoring the newest JIF scholars. 

Upon arriving in Ann Arbor at JCAS, we were greeted by many in the Joyce Ivy organization, and felt “at home” the minute we walked in the door. 

Along with the greeting, we were encouraged to look around at the various tables that were set up and we were immediately impressed that representatives from schools such as Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and more, were taking time out of their busy schedules to spend the day with others like our family. Having two older children go through the college application process, we knew we were able to attend events where you could learn more about one or two schools at a time, but we were never afforded the opportunity to have all of these amazing schools represented in one place at the same time, so we made sure to take advantage of speaking to the representatives from the various schools throughout the day. 

After having some time to visit with representatives, we were whisked off into a room where the first session was being held. As we looked around the room, we found ourselves surrounded by many other young women and their families that had aspirations of their daughter attending a highly selective school.  As we waited for the first session to begin, we had casual conversations with those around us and found that most of us had similar experiences and all in attendance were there to learn more about various topics such as the Common Application, financial aid application, interviewing techniques, and the various colleges represented at the symposium.

For the first time in our daughter’s lifetime, she was surrounded by other intelligent young women who were just as ambitious as she was and who were willing to take risks and think outside the box and the positive energy in the room is difficult to describe unless you were actually a part of the event.

Various representatives from the different colleges were introduced and they each shared a bit about their college and the process of applying and the basics of financial aid at each of the schools. When that was completed, we were allowed to attend sessions based on our interests where we could learn more about the colleges and all things associated with applying in greater depth.  There were sessions on developing a strategy for admissions and financial aid, interviewing techniques and a session where we were able to go through and talk about actual applications.

I vividly remember a session about effective applications. We were broken into various groups and were given actual applications from students that had applied to these universities in the past and we had to determine whether or not we would admit them, defer, waitlist or deny admission based on their application.  The value in this was immense not only because we were told what the actual outcome was, but because we were given the opportunity to brainstorm on what made the application exceptional as well as areas for improvement. 

Our daughter was given the opportunity to attend a session on effectively communicating through writing and interviews and this proved to be of value as she went through the application process.  I think one of the things most students are nervous about are the interviews and by attending this session, she learned more about the process which put her more at ease when she actually had to interview. 

The day was filled with information for us to take home and we made some new friends along the way. For us, the evening wrapped up with annual gala for Joyce Ivy Scholars.  The evening is one that will never be forgotten and is one of my daughter’s fondest memories that she will forever cherish. 

We have found that the Joyce Ivy Foundation has been a support system for many young women throughout the Midwest, including our daughter.  Both of us have remained involved with JIF and encourage other young women to reach for the stars. 

For us, JCAS was just the beginning of a relationship with the Joyce Ivy Foundation that will last a lifetime.  The knowledge gained and the memories created, along with the continued support of the Joyce Ivy Foundation, is a testament to their dedication in helping young women achieve their dreams. 

For anyone wondering whether or not they should attend, I say yes, without a doubt! You will leave the symposium more energized and focused on what lies ahead and I can guarantee you will never regret the decision to attend. The 13-hour drive home was filled with conversation and excitement about attending JCAS and the newfound friendships and relationships that were forged that day.


Life’s a journey so I encourage you to make JCAS one of the stops along the way.  It will help you believe in the idea that dreams can and do come true by empowering young women to think outside the box and to pursue their dreams, whatever they may be.




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