Vanderbilt recently announced the addition of two new cohorts to the Posse Scholars program: Miami and Atlanta. The expansion builds upon the original Vanderbilt Posse launched in New York over 36 years ago as well as the addition of a second New York cohort and a new Houston cohort in 2023. The university now counts five total Posse cohorts—two more than the average university involved with the program.
“Vanderbilt and Posse have shared an enthusiastic, long-standing collaboration rooted in a shared philosophy of seeking out the next generation of dynamic leaders wherever they may be,” said Douglas L. Christiansen, vice provost for university enrollment affairs and dean of admissions and financial aid. “We look forward to welcoming these exceptional young scholars to the Vanderbilt community, as we believe their rich variety of talents and perspectives will greatly enrich our campus.”
The Posse Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that identifies and supports high school students with academic excellence and leadership potential, connecting them to prestigious colleges and universities. The program helps Vanderbilt recruit from different geographies in its ongoing effort to bring different perspectives to the classroom. The university’s collaboration with Posse aligns with its commitment to excellence and to growth and development. By minimizing financial and other barriers that might impede students’ access to the university, the Posse Scholars program helps broaden the range of perspectives, backgrounds and expertise on campus.
Students in all the cohorts—including those who will join the university’s incoming first-year class in 2026—are guaranteed a full-tuition scholarship based on leadership and engagement within their communities. The university will also meet any demonstrated need beyond the cost of the scholarship. Posse is also granting Vanderbilt $1 million over five years to help with programming costs and annual fees associated with the new cohorts. That amount is in addition to the $1 million grant currently being used to run the new Houston and New York cohorts.
“Posse would not exist without Vanderbilt. In 1989, Chancellor Joe B. Wyatt took a chance on a then-untested program, giving Posse a strong foundation from which to grow. For over 36 years, Chancellor Diermeier, Provost Raver, Vice Provost Christiansen and their exceptional teams have been elevating the partnership to new heights,” Posse President Deborah Bial said. “By welcoming more Posse Scholars to campus than ever before, Vanderbilt is not only transforming lives but also strengthening a network of leaders who will shape our country’s future.”
Jeremi London—Vanderbilt Posse faculty director, associate provost for academic opportunity and associate professor of mechanical engineering —is thinking creatively about how to foster community and a sense of belonging as the program grows. “I’m honored to serve at the helm of the flagship Posse program during this time in its history,” London said.
ENDURING COLLABORATION
Vanderbilt was the first university to collaborate with The Posse Foundation when it was launched in 1989 by social entrepreneur Deborah Bial. Since then, nearly 400 Posse Scholars have thrived at Vanderbilt and enriched the campus community, receiving over $52 million in tuition assistance from Vanderbilt. However, this figure does not capture the additional aid from Opportunity Vanderbilt that students who demonstrated financial need greater than the tuition may have received.
The Posse Scholars program is based on the philosophy that a small, diverse group of talented students—a posse—carefully selected and trained, can serve as a catalyst for individual and community development. Posse students are chosen based on their experience, leadership ability and drive to succeed.
Posse Scholars bond throughout their last year of high school while receiving precollegiate training on navigating the college experience. Under the leadership of a faculty director and Posse mentors, the Vanderbilt Posse Scholars Program fosters a sense of belonging through a network of mentoring relationships forged during their first two years on campus and engagement with cross-cohort community-building programs spanning all four years. And the success of Posse Scholars is evident. They go on to pursue impactful careers in every sector of society. Several members of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust are also Posse alumni.
“My Vanderbilt Posse experience profoundly changed my life and my family’s life,” Posse’s Senior Advisor of Creative Content Rico Blancaflor, BS’98, said. “I gained a world-class education and a durable network that influences how I navigate and make sense of the world today. As an early alum and longtime employee of Posse, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact of this relationship, now in its 36th year. The expansion of Posse at my alma mater fills me with pride. I hope the world can see and learn from Vanderbilt—how long-term collaborations, woven with optimism and trust, can enrich institutions and transform lives.”
BRINGING IN DIFFERENT VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES
The Posse Scholars program is one of many collaborative relationships that Vanderbilt has forged as the university works to bring many different voices and perspectives to campus.
Among them is the STARS College Network, a prominent coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to ensuring that students from small-town and rural America have the information and support they need to enroll and graduate from the college or university of their choice. Since the inception of STARS, Vanderbilt—one of the co-founding institutions—has been involved in events geared toward small-town and rural community outreach, resulting in a 26.8 percent increase in applications from small-town and rural students from Tennessee and an impressive 93.9 percent increase in admitted students from those areas.
Vanderbilt also collaborates with QuestBridge, a national college match program that connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with Vanderbilt University and other top colleges. From the inception of QuestBridge, the number of admissions to Vanderbilt through the program has increased from an initial 15 students per academic year in 2014 to a current class of 75.
- Learn more about the Posse Foundation.
- Explore becoming a Posse mentor through a conversation with Faculty Director Dr. Jeremi London.
- Follow Vanderbilt’s Posse Scholars and learn about notable alumni.
