Unlike a larger school community, our college and career preparedness for students, known as the GALS Futures program, is able to give specific attention to all of our future graduates and to help guide them through the important task of choosing what is next based on personal interests and desired pursuits.  

GALS Denver starts with college and career exposure in middle school, and has a fully developed high school program that provides the skills and framework for our students to prepare for and implement their career and educational goals after graduating from GALS.   

Master Resumes

Students are given a Resume Template where they fill in in the following information:

• Education
• Work Experience
• Volunteer Experience
• Leadership Experience
• Extracurricular Activities
• Skills

Doing this allows students to have a physical document that outlines what experiences they have and what experiences they need to be looking for/attaining.

Job/Volunteer Research and Internship Opportunities

Students will seek out opportunities to gain the experiences they want/need to add to their master resumes.  GALS partners with Highview, an innovative program that hosts students in partner companies to explore career options and provide internship connections.  In addition, GALS works with all students to find summer jobs and internships aligned with their interests that may advance their professional decisions.  

College Comparison Research

There are many variables that go into a person’s college experience—size, location, cost, type—and the best way to figure out what you might want for yourself is to do the research and experience a physical college campus tour. All students learn to do extensive research aligned to their pique interests.

Personal Statements

Many colleges use the Common Application, which prompts students to write an essay. These essays are used to assess a student’s application (along with transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters, etc.), but often times are left to the last minute to complete by many students. At GALS, students will begin writing their Personal Statements during their Junior year. This allows plenty of time for students to gain the practice and feedback so they can apply their time toward writing other essays for scholarships instead!

Scholarship Research & Applications

An important factor that almost everyone who goes to college today is having enough money to pay for their post-secondary education. At GALS, students will be coached through how to research for scholarships, as well as applying for scholarships.

College Campus Visits

We believe that having the opportunity to visit many different types of college campuses not only helps students determine what kind of experience they want to have for themselves, but also allows many first generation college students to begin to picture themselves going to college. This is a great opportunity for students to have a hands-on experience, get a basic sense/feel for a campus, as well as have the opportunity to ask current students questions face to face.

College Fairs

Although the format of these have shifted as we have journeyed through the pandemic, these are great opportunities for students to talk directly with admissions representatives from a variety of colleges and universities in Colorado and across the nation. Students are able to get direct information, ask questions, and hear about the opportunities available at a variety of institutions.  Staff at GALS prepare students to make the most of their fair opportunities.  

Why FUTURES Matters

While many high schools have the role of college counselors available to meet on occasion with their students, at GALS, we take things a step or two further by carving out times to meet each week to engage with our students, in both formal and informal ways. Many students feel the pressure and anxiety about what they will do and be when they “grow up”. At GALS, students are more confident in the paths they choose for themselves after they graduate from high school because we provide them with the skills and framework necessary to be able to know they are doing what they need to to do be the best versions of themselves and lead a well lived life.

College Partnerships 

We are determined to do everything in our power to ensure that colleges and universities know who we are, why we matter, and why our students are going to be great additions to their campus communities and classrooms. Below is a quick look at the colleges and universities we’ve cultivated relationships with thus far.

100% College Acceptance Rate

As a part of our GALS Futures/Senior Seminar Programming, all students are required to apply to at least one higher education institution.  Since our founding, 100% of our students have been accepted into college.  

School Acceptances to Date

Colorado School of Mines | Colorado State University | Community College of Denver | CU Boulder | CU CO Springs | CU Denver |. Metropolitan State University of Denver | Red Rocks Community College | Regis University | University of Denver | University of Northern Colorado | Colorado College | Colorado Mountain College | Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design

American University (DC) | Bard College (NY) | Cedar Crest College (PA) | Clark University (MA) | College of Wooster (OH) | Cornell College (IA) | Davidson Honors College (MN) | Denison University (OH) | Drexel University (PA) | Eckerd College (FL) | Hampshire College (MA) | Hastings College (NE) | Ithaca College (NY) | Kalamazoo College (MI) | Lewis & Clark College (OR) | Mills College (CA) | Morningside College (IA) | New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology | Northland College (WI) | Reed College (OR) | Simmons College (MA) | Smith College (MA) | St. Joseph’s University (PA) | St. Lawrence University (NY) | St. Olaf College (MN) | Syracuse University (NY) | University of California – Davis | University of California – San Diego | University of Montana | University of Puget Sound (WA) | University of South Dakota | Wellesley College (MA) | Whitman College (WA) | Willamette University (OR)

McGill University, Montreal | Trinity College of Dublin, Ireland | University of Bristol, England | University of Edinburgh, Scotland | University of St Andrews, Scotland

Data

In CDE’s most current ratings, the Girls Athletic Leadership School middle school was rated in the top category as a Green or ‘Performance School’. 

Some highlights of our performance include: 

• GALS Middle School met expectations (green) overall for Academic Growth in both English and Math.  
• In Literacy: GALS supported students to exceed the district by 15.2 points and the state by 11.4 points in the percent of students that met/exceeded expectations 
• In Literacy, GALS supported students to grow in literacy as much as the district and faster than that state. GALS exceeded the state in growth by almost 4 points
• In Literacy, GALS supported more female students in reaching grade level standards than in the district and the state.  GALS 8th graders outperformed the district by almost 13 points and outperformed the state by almost 10 points. Similarly, 7th graders outperformed their district peers by almost 14 points and the state by 8 points.  
• In Math; GALS supported students to grow at a faster rate than the district and the state, GALS exceeded the district growth percentile by 6 points and the state by 13 points.  

 In CDE’s most current ratings, the Girls Athletic Leadership School high school was rated as Yellow or ‘Improvement School’.

Some highlights of our performance include: 

• In Math, GALS produced stronger cohort growth among “female” students in high school than did DPS high schools, exceeding the district by 3.5 points
• GALS received a Green rating overall for Postsecondary and Workforce readiness on the State SPF
• GALS Exceeded expectations for drop out rates in all student subgroups
• GALS graduation rate was at meets expectations, and consistently exceeds the district rate (GALS is 86.2% v DPS 74%, for Females GALS is 86.2% v DPS is 79.8%) 
• GALS exceeded expectations for graduation rates of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch
• 100% of GALS students applying to college have been accepted