In 2015, University of Puget Sound joined 52 of the nation's finest colleges and universities in partnering with The Posse Foundation. Puget Sound was Posse's first partner in the Pacific Northwest and the first to recruit students from the San Francisco Bay Area. The Posse Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to expanding the pool from which colleges and universities can recruit outstanding young leaders from diverse backgrounds. Posse identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional colleges’ selection processes and places them in supportive, multicultural teams—or “posses”—of 10 students at top-tier colleges. Posse scholars receive a full-tuition scholarship, regardless of financial need.
The selection process is highly competitive, with more than 17,000 students nominated for only 750 scholarships. Posse identifies students of exceptional leadership skill using the Dynamic Assessment Process, testing students' problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills, as well as their initiative, resourcefulness, and intrinsic leadership abilities.
On campus, Posse scholars meet weekly with a faculty advisor to learn college-survival skills, build team cohesion, and explore ways of becoming agents to change stereotypes on campus. Posse scholars serve as club leaders, on student government, and in many other leadership roles on campus.
