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Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS)

Leadership
Community Service
Science
Humanities

Pomona College

Claremont, CA3 consecutive years; includes 4-week residential summer program plus academic year components

The Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) is a selective three-year college preparation program hosted by Pomona College for local high school students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds. Each summer, PAYS scholars participate in an intensive four-week residential program on Pomona's campus, taking college-level courses and engaging in workshops, cultural events, and hands-on projects. The program also includes academic year components that provide ongoing support throughout the college application process. PAYS is one of the most comprehensive and prestigious college preparation opportunities available to underrepresented high school students in the region.

Visit pomona.edu

Skills You'll Build

Critical Thinking

Evaluating information carefully before drawing a conclusion or making a decision.

Problem Solving

Breaking down a challenge and working through it methodically to a solution.

Team Leadership

Guiding a group toward a shared goal and keeping everyone moving together.

Cultural Competency

Understanding and respectfully engaging with people from different backgrounds.

Active Listening

Fully focusing on and understanding what someone else is communicating.

Scientific Research

Designing studies, testing hypotheses, and drawing evidence-based conclusions.

Related Careers

University Professor

Students engage in college-level courses and research projects with professors, directly experiencing academic research and teaching environments.

Teacher

Program emphasizes preparing students for higher education through intensive coursework, mentoring, and academic support over three years.

Nonprofit Program Manager

PAYS is a college access program serving underrepresented students; students learn community-focused mission work through workshops and projects.

Policy Analyst

Program addresses educational equity and social mobility for first-generation and low-income students through structured college preparation.

Quick Facts

Grade Levels
10th - 12th
Format
In-Person
Time Commitment
4 weeks residential summer plus academic year components
Competitiveness
Selective
Best For
First-generation and low-income students

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Community Experiences

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