The MATCH Corps is a one-year Urban Education fellowship program. It is possibly the most competitive such program in the nation, more competitive than admission to the Harvard Graduate School of Education or Teach for America.
Elite recent college graduates from excellent universities across the country commit one year to public service in Boston. They receive a modest living stipend and housing in a dorm on the top floor of our school. After that, some go into teaching; some to med school and law school; and others get involved in public policy.
The goal is clear: college success for each student. Most would become the first in their families to achieve that. Therefore, the demands are intense: many Corps work 60 hour weeks, usually with two students at a time. With freshmen and sophomores, Corps tutor in the basics, responding to acute needs. With juniors and seniors, the support is for students to master AP coursework, as well as classes at nearby Boston University. Corps members not only tutor; they also serve as teaching assistants providing additional academic support in particular subject areas, provide unique out-of-school activities for our students, as well as coach sports and run clubs.
MATCH Corps members work relentlessly to build in-depth relationships with their students, acting as mentors and helping their students to reach specific goals. Corps have close contact with parents and guardians, building the strong bridge between home and school that is an important part of the MATCH philosophy. The school environment is small enough that every Corps member knows every student.
The MATCH Corps is often compared to Teach For America and the New York City Teaching Fellows Program. Like those, MATCH Corps allows idealistic and dedicated young people to invest their time and energy in helping disadvantaged youth....via a "No Excuses" approach to pursuing measurable gains in student achievement. The biggest contrast is in depth versus breadth. First-year teachers interact with more students, and spend most of their time trying to master classroom management - getting kids focused and working hard. By contrast, MATCH Corps are able to focus their attention on the learning needs of each student from the jump.
Through the MATCH Corps, we challenge stereotypes every day. Some people believe that urban teens lack the ability or discipline to become outstanding critical thinkers and successful high school and college graduates. Some also say that many college graduates lack a sense of responsibility toward their communities.
We know it's not true. Every day, we do what many consider impossible--we bring together idealistic, dedicated college graduates and hard-working, disciplined urban teenagers. We have created a program that allows MATCH students to achieve what so many consider impossible: success in college and beyond for low-income, urban youth.
The MATCH School Experience
MATCH Corps College Network
MATCH Corps members have graduated from the following colleges and universities:
Amherst College, Atlantic Union College, Bard College, Barnard College, Berklee College of Music, Binghamton University, Boston College, Boston University, Bowdoin College, Brandeis University, Brown University, Carleton College, Carnegie Mellon University, Central Washington University, Carnegie Mellon University, Colby College, Colgate University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Eastern Connecticut State University, Emmanuel College, Fordham University, Franklin and Marshall College, Furman University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Hamilton College, Harvard University, James Madison University, John Carroll University, Johns Hopkins University, Louisiana State University, Loyola College, Macalester College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, New York University, Oakland University, Oberlin College, Pennsylvania State University, Pitzer College, Princeton University, Roger Williams University, Rutgers University, Salisbury University, Skidmore College, Smith College, Spelman College, St. John's College, Stanford University, SUNY-Binghamton, Sweet Briar College, Tufts University, Union College, University of Alabama, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Davis, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Chicago, University of Dayton, University of Iowa, University of Illinois, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Minnesota, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pennsylvania, University of Richmond, University of Rochester, University of Southern California, University of Texas-Austin, University of Virginia, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vassar College, Villanova University, Virginia State University, Wake Forest University, Wellesley College, Western Washington University, Williams College, Yale University
MATCH Corps In The News
The MATCH Corps tutoring program has been featured in several publications, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Daily Free Press. Click on the following links to read about the MATCH Corps.
Random: MATCH Corps alum have a 100% admission rate to medical school; our ranks include nationally ranked players in everything from Ultimate Frisbee to Scrabble.
If you are interested in joining the MATCH Corps, you can learn more here.
If you would like to download the brochure, click here.
If you have the means to transform four kids' lives by sponsoring a MATCH Corps member's stipend, you can send us an email to find out more.
If you want to visit the MATCH School to see the Corps in action, email us to set up a time.
