Two Stuyvesant Seniors Selected as Posse Scholars

Two Stuyvesant seniors, Stefan Broge and Marlee Sidor, were recently recognized as Posse Scholars. The Posse Foundation is a program that selects students from across the country with strong academic and leadership potential. The Dynamic Assessment Program is the initial evaluation process that Posse conducts every year to select its students. Students are then placed into “posses,” or groups of students going to the same universities on full tuition scholarships. Broge was accepted to Vanderbilt University, and Sidor was accepted to Smith College.

The Posse Foundation’s main goal is to expand access to top institutions for qualified students from diverse backgrounds, create more welcoming environments for these students on college campuses, and support scholars throughout and beyond college so that they can eventually go on to assume leadership roles in the workforce. The program has a 5 percent acceptance rate, with a 90 percent graduation rate. Unlike other scholarship programs such as QuestBridge, Posse specifically looks for strong leadership potential in its candidates.

Broge was encouraged to apply for the Posse Scholarship by a friend who is a Posse Scholar. “I was nominated by a friend and teammate from Stuy’s class of 2025 who told me about how great of a program it was. Vanderbilt was also a school that I was very interested in, so it made sense to go for this scholarship at a school I already found so appealing,” Broge said in an email interview.

The application process for the Posse Scholarship was intense, consisting of three interview rounds that emphasized interactions between students. “The first is with over 100 other candidates and is centered around group activities and watching how nominees interact with one another. There is also an in-person essay at that interview. The second round is a much more traditional interview with two staff members,” Broge said.

The third and final stage is an interview with selected finalists, Posse staff, and staff from partner colleges. Similarly to the first interview, candidates interview together, an unconventional approach compared to traditional, one-on-one college interviews. “I think the third round was the most challenging because there are about 20 to 25 students competing for only 10 spots, and you’re being evaluated not just by Posse staff, but also by college professors, deans, and admissions officers,” Sidor said.

Broge echoed this sentiment. “Again, it is a group-oriented interview, but there is a larger emphasis on sharing personal stories with the other candidates,” Broge said. “It is definitely disorienting to have to work with your competitors, but it is interesting and rewarding in the end.”

Sidor explained that Posse selects students who stand out. “Posse looks for students who excel academically but can also work well with others. You could be the most accomplished person in the world, but if you’re not able to work in a team, Posse probably isn’t a good fit for you. Your grades and test scores matter, of course, but not as much, as their main focus is on assessing leadership skills and teamwork,” said Sidor.

Sidor also emphasized the alumni network that became available through the scholarship. “As a Posse scholar, you become part of a strong alumni network, with several professional and pre-professional opportunities available specifically to scholars […] who are typically underrepresented in higher education by creating a built-in support system so scholars feel connected and supported in college and beyond,” Sidor said. Posse’s Career Program connects scholars and alumni with various opportunities, including internships, graduate and fellowship programs, and other professional development programs. They also offer career coaching and development workshops. “It’s an ongoing support system that continues well into your professional career,” Sidor added.

Reflecting on the Posse experience, Broge highlighted that a key insight he learned was that leadership is not about being the loudest one in the room, but about contributing meaningfully in a group and supporting others. “I think that being a Posse scholar is mainly about being someone who can easily fold into and play a meaningful, supportive role in a group of others. The experience has taught me, as someone who is generally not the loudest or domineering, that one’s leadership can very much be recognized even when they are not the most vocal,” Broge said.