Widened Circle Society

The Widened Circle Society was established in 2022 when founder Evelyn Adler began to reflect on her work as a college essay mentor.

Students without access to such services not only missed out on help with college essays; they also missed out on myriad other types of access enjoyed by young people from wealthier families.

She reached out to the many teachers she had trained in the NYC Public School system, asking them to identify young people with promise who might benefit from this “widened circle” approach.

That year, seven students received assistance with the application process, expanding their college list to schools previously thought out of reach or not even know about. After accepting admission to Haverford, Hobart and William Smith, SUNY New Paltz and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, four students from the South Bronx and Harlem received scholarships from WCS, enabling them to attend wonderful colleges not only outside of the city but also out of state.

WCS also provided mentoring and other support throughout their first two years, ensuring that all four students would thrive at college and in their life after graduation.

Since then, WCS has provided support to another smaller cohort of New York City students and to students in Gaza.

Our work is limited only by access to funds! For more information about being part of the wider circle by mentoring or helping students make connections in their fields of interest or by helping students travel or to make a tax-deductible donation, contact us!