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Press-release-2 As Selective College Acceptance Rates Hit Historic Lows, TeenSHARP Students Earn Their Pick of Top Universities

May 21, 2026
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May 21, 2026

As Selective College Acceptance Rates Hit Historic Lows, TeenSHARP Students Earn Their Pick of Top Universities

From Ivy League universities to top-ranked liberal arts colleges and nationally recognized scholarship and leadership programs, TeenSHARP seniors are securing life-changing opportunities in one of the toughest admissions years in recent history.

Wilmington, DE — In a year defined by record-breaking competition, rising college costs, and shrinking acceptance rates at many of the nation’s most prestigious universities, nearly 50 TeenSHARP seniors are preparing to announce college decisions that include Harvard, Stanford, Yale, MIT, Princeton, Penn, Brown, Howard University, and Davidson College during TeenSHARP’s annual College Signing Day Ceremony on Thursday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. EST.

College Signing Day is an annual celebration that brings together TeenSHARP students, families, educators, alumni, and community supporters in a virtual setting to recognize the achievements of students historically underrepresented at the nation’s most selective colleges and universities.

TeenSHARP’s Class of 2026 navigated one of the most competitive admissions cycles in recent history, with more than 1.4 million students submitting 9.42 million applications through the Common Application platform alone as applicants applied to more colleges than ever before amid growing uncertainty around admissions and affordability.

At the same time, acceptance rates at many of the nation’s most prestigious universities continued to shrink, with Harvard admitting just 3.2% of applicants, Stanford 3.6%, Vanderbilt 4.1%, Columbia 4.23%, Yale 4.24%, Princeton 4.4%, and MIT 4.6%.

Yet TeenSHARP seniors like Rafael Farrera-Juarez (Sussex Central High School) will announce his selection from an impressive list of highly-selective institutions, including Harvard, Columbia, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, and Pomona College, while also being named a 2026 Coca-Cola Scholar, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for high school seniors.

At a time when national student loan debt has surpassed $1.7 trillion, TeenSHARP twin sisters Anabelle and Isabelle Harry (The Field School) will attend Washington University in St. Louis on full-ride scholarships valued each at more than $93,000 annually.

Four TeenSHARP seniors also secured full four-year scholarships through the highly selective QuestBridge National College Match, one of the nation’s most competitive college access programs for high-achieving, low-income students. Atinuke Aminu (MOT Charter School) matched with Stanford University; Fatma Darilmaz (Laurel High School) matched with Colorado College; Austin Jalloh (Hume Fogg High School) matched with Vanderbilt University; and Mariya Tinch (Nash-Rocky Mount Early College High School) matched with Yale University. Each QuestBridge Match scholarship is valued at more than $325,000 over four years.

Collectively, TeenSHARP seniors secured more than $3.3 million in institutional grants and scholarships for their first year of college alone, dramatically expanding access to institutions that have become increasingly difficult for many families to afford.

The Class of 2026 also earned recognition through some of the nation’s most competitive scholarship and enrichment programs, including the Gates Scholarship, Coca-Cola Scholars Program, Torch Scholarship, Horatio Alger Scholarship, Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, and other nationally competitive awards.

“At a moment when top colleges are becoming harder to access, too many students are being told, directly or indirectly, that the highest levels of higher education are out of reach for them,” said Tatiana Poladko, TeenSHARP co-founder and Chief Program Officer. “TeenSHARP students are refusing to shrink their ambitions to fit those expectations. They are earning admission to some of the most prestigious universities in the country, securing life-changing financial aid, and proving that brilliance is everywhere, even when access is not.”

As TeenSHARP celebrates the achievements of its senior class, we invite educators, alumni, families, and community supporters to RSVP for an evening filled with tears, joy, and cheers while students announce where they will be heading this fall.

About TeenSHARP

TeenSHARP is a national nonprofit that prepares Black, Latino, and low-income students to attend and thrive at America’s top colleges with little or no debt. Founded in 2009 by Atnre Alleyne and Tatiana Poladko, TeenSHARP has grown into a leading provider of innovative, high-impact college access and leadership development programming. Year after year, 100 percent of TeenSHARP scholars successfully pursue a four-year college education, with 95 percent admitted to the nation’s most selective colleges and universities and the majority graduating with $15,000 or less in college debt. TeenSHARP’s mission is driven by a bold vision: a future in which the diversity of America’s leadership reflects the rich diversity of its people.

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Deborah Yanez

Parent Programs Manager

Deborah leads TeenSHARP’s parent empowerment work with love, conviction, and credibility. She grew up in one of America’s poorest cities (Camden, NJ), has served as an elected school board member, raised two sons who have accessed higher education successfully (one is a TeenSHARP alumnus and McCabe Scholar at Swarthmore) along with her husband, and has helped many more families prepare their children for college.

Alina de Zoysa

Pre-College Programs Coordinator

Alina de Zoysa is a proud product of the TeenSHARP Striver Program, as her journey with the organization began when she was in the 7th grade, spending 6 years of her life as a TeenSHARPie. With the support of TeenSHARP, Alina attended Washington and Lee University as a Johnson Scholar. Throughout her college experience, she uncovered a true passion for working with her students and supporting their journeys to success, just as TeenSHARP once did for her. After being named as an Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar, alongside two of her incredibly bright TeenSHARP peers, she engaged in shaping equity-centered education policy at the U.S. Department of Education while completing her Summer Voyage. She was grateful to return to the TeenSHARP team in January 2025, serving as our Lead Underclassmen Advisor. As our Pre-College Programs Coordinator, she is inspired to continue growing with TeenSHARP. Specifically, Alina is focused on collaborating with underrepresented communities to promote inclusive access to innovative and effective resources that help dismantle systemic barriers.

Sara Petty

Director of Pre-College Success

Sara Petty is TeenSHARP’s powerhouse Director of Pre-College Success, orchestrating a nationwide expansion to ensure that talented Black, Latino, and low-income students have a direct path to elite colleges. With a proven track record from her days scaling a college access program in Houston, Sara has a knack for turning educational challenges into triumphs. She thrives on transforming obstacles into opportunities and is known for her relentless drive and innovative solutions. When she’s not making waves in the world of education, you can find her brainstorming the next big idea over a cup of coffee or diving into a new book that sparks her curiosity. Sara’s mission? To make sure every student has the chance to unlock their full potential and claim their spot in the future’s top colleges.

Tamara Fentress

Chief of Staff

For over 18 years, Tamara has been a passionate advocate for educational equity, inclusion, and the overall improvement of support structures to build a solid foundation for the journey of learning. Driven by a desire to see all students and families thrive, she has successfully led major projects of varying budget sizes, while also co-creating and implementing innovative strategies at mission-driven organizations across various operational areas, from technology and project management to legal and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEIB) initiatives.

Her journey began in a large urban school district, where she spent a significant portion of her career leading the development of critical strategies that served over 86,000 students. This experience allowed her to work closely with a diverse team of over 10,000 employees, understanding and addressing needs across all levels of the organization. Her collaborative spirit extended beyond the school district, fostering strong partnerships with parent groups, community organizations, and government entities.

Tamara’s dedication to education stems from a deeply personal place. As a mother to two inspiring children, Harmony and Hudson, she sees firsthand the potential and power of having access to opportunities, caring adults, and belief in that which is greater than yourself.  This unwavering belief in the power of serving others, access, equity, and education to empower and transform lives fuels her commitment to continuous learning and creating equitable opportunities for all.

Tatiana Poladko

Co-Founder

Our “force of nature” founder came to New Jersey from Ukraine for graduate school over a decade ago and immediately put her hands to the work of community empowerment and expanding educational opportunity. She has experience managing youth programs for the UN in Ukraine (at the age of 19!), teaching at Temple University, building/managing nonprofit organizations, and supporting students to and through college. She is also a mother to three lovely kids (Zoryana, Nazariy, and Taras), plays guitar and piano, and makes amazing soups!

Atnre Alleyne

Co-Founder/CEO

As TeenSHARP’s resident historian, Atnre is quick to share stories of the organization’s humble church basement beginnings, its growing pains, and many milestones. With his background in research and evaluation, policy and advocacy, communications, technology, and instruction, he has the type of Swiss Army knife skills that are critical in a fast-paced social impact organization. He has three lovely children (Zoryana, Nazariy, and Taras), an amazing wife (TeenSHARP’s Co-Founder), and he plays bass guitar and blogs when he finds the time.