Photo by Mark DiOrio
Colgate University and Service to School (S2S) are proud to announce a new partnership through the Service to School VetLink Program. Colgate joins 21 prestigious institutions committed to transforming higher education and college access for student veterans.
S2S directly connects veteran applicants with partner schools like Colgate during the undergraduate application process and works with partner colleges to create awareness of how a veteran’s military service has prepared them for success in academia. This collaborative approach provides partner schools with an effective way to identify, evaluate, and accept qualified veterans for undergraduate programs while helping veterans to find a top college that is the best fit for their academic and personal goals.
"Colgate University is proud to play a role in supporting veterans of the U.S. armed forces as they leave active military service and consider their educational options,” said Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Gary Ross. “This new partnership with Service to School adds to our efforts to make meaningful connections with veterans who are seeking a strong liberal arts education here at Colgate in the beautiful Chenango Valley."
Together, Service to School and partner colleges are transforming outcomes for veterans seeking higher education and increasing access to exceptional academic programs with high graduation rates.
“We are thrilled to have Colgate as a partner university where veterans will have the opportunity to receive a world class liberal arts education while challenging themselves academically and intellectually. Colgate has shown their commitment to enrolling and supporting student veterans and has identified the unique perspective and leadership that veterans bring into the classroom,” said Christine Schwartz, Service to School CEO.
Service to School provides veterans with free academic counseling and mentorship and has helped more than 1,500 veterans gain admission into the country’s best colleges.
Kevin Varga ’16, was a member of the Marine Corps before coming to Colgate, and he later served for a year as a Service to School mentor himself. He said it was initially hard to adjust on a college campus where most students were younger than him, but that all changed after a few weeks.
“All of the students I encountered were friendly and accepting,” Varga said. “The professors and staff were even more understanding and curious of my nontraditional background. I thrived in the small classroom settings and cherished the close relationships I formed with professors.... The uncertainty that I first felt was short-lived and replaced by the contagious Colgate camaraderie.”