The College Playbook

Originally from New York City and raised in Boca Raton, Florida, Lucas Spielfogel graduated with a B.A. in History from Yale in May 2010, earning All-Ivy Academic Honors. 

As a Teach for America-South Louisiana corps member, Lucas taught social studies at Baker Middle School and was named Teacher of the Year in each of his two years. 

In July 2012, Lucas became the Executive Director Designate of the Baton Rouge Coalition (BRYC), an organization preparing high-achieving, under-resourced high school students to enter, excel in, and graduate from college so they can become full participants in society. He was named Executive Director in January 2013, and BRYC has since quadrupled in size under his leadership. During the 2019-2020 school year, BRYC will support 250 high school students and nearly 400 college students and graduates.

“Let’s start with why you shouldn’t. When I was going through the college process, I had a lot of advantages most kids don’t. I went to a private high school with its own college counseling department. I’m also a third-generation college student, whereas many students— perhaps even you—are striving to be the first in their families to attend college. And while most American students and families are very concerned about how they’ll pay for college, my family could afford it without financial aid. There’s a good chance I haven’t walked in your shoes, and there will be times throughout this book when you’ll think, ‘Yah, easy for him to say.’ And you will be right. Why share all this? Because if I’m asking you to pour your heart and sweat into this process, the least I owe you is full honesty.”

“Don’t be alarmed: there are some reasons you should listen to me. Since 2013, I have worked as executive director of the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC), an after-school program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that helps high-achieving, under-resourced high school students get into, pay for, and succeed in college. Again, I haven’t walked my students’ paths, but I’ve walked arm in arm with hundreds of them through the college process: studying for the ACT, staying up all night writing essays, stressing over financial aid forms, picking the right school, and physically transitioning to college. It’s been a grind but, working together, we’ve seen huge success. Eighty percent of our 300 alumni have graduated, or are on track to graduate, from more than 50 colleges across more than 20 states. They’ve blazed a trail for our 200 high school students—and the many more to come—who are working toward similar and greater heights. Along the way, I’ve gotten good at this college process thing. It’s tough but beatable. Just ask my students. This book is a compilation of the information we at BRYC pester our students with daily. I’ll tell you what we tell them, a truth you may be tired of hearing: you’ll get out exactly what you put in.”