Griffin Bridges Program

Who is an Ideal Candidate?

An ideal candidate must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement (A’s and B’s) through his middle school education. Students must show great interest in his own education, demonstrate personal motivation, be willing to work as a team player, and possess a genuine desire to be a part of the Seton Hall Prep community. Students residing in the areas of Newark, East Orange, Irvington, and Orange will receive the highest priority as candidates for the program.

Admissions Information

Apply via the online Griffin Bridges Application, and contact The Griffin Bridges Office, by phone at 973.325.PREP, ext. 6784 or by email at: griffinbridges@shp.org.

In order to be considered for admission to Seton Hall Preparatory School for the 9th grade, an applicant must fulfill the following requirements:

Complete and submit the Seton Hall Prep Application for Admission along with the $70 application fee.
Submit ALL requested documentation, including income information, to the Office of Admission.
Take the official Seton Hall Preparatory School Entrance Examination. Please note that the test will take place on Nov. 13th, Nov. 20th, Dec. 4th, and Dec. 11th. To be considered for the Griffin Bridges Program all applicants MUST take either the Nov. 13th or 20th examinations.
Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Freshman for a Day program where they will shadow a current 9th grader.
Final step to be considered for admission into the program: ALL applicants MUST be interviewed by the Griffin Bridges Program Admission Committee. Virtual Interview will ONLY be granted to applicants who have taken the admission exam or have scheduled to take the exam. Interviews will be conducted in early December.
THE INTERVIEW WINDOW CLOSES ON NOV. 20, 2021. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.

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Vision

The Griffin Bridges Program provides educational, financial, and social support to enable academically talented, financially limited young men from the Greater Newark area to attend Seton Hall Preparatory School. The Griffin Bridges Program is specifically designed to meet the needs of inner-city young men, regardless of race or creed, by providing them an environment where they can learn, develop, and realize their full potential.
Impact

With 100% of its Scholars accepted to four year colleges, Griffin Bridges is changing the paradigm for male students from the inner-city. Seton Hall Prep and Griffin Bridges wishes to continue its commitment to young men who want to succeed.

Twenty years after its inception, Griffin Bridges continues to connect young men from the inner city to opportunity and success.

For more information please contact:
The Griffin Bridges Program
Seton Hall Preparatory School
120 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, New Jersey 07052
Phone: 973.325.PREP, ext. 6784
Email: griffinbridges@shp.org
Results

The results are palpable. The Griffin Bridges Program has successfully enrolled and graduated over 100 young men in the last 25 years. Over this course of time every commencement and academic award that Seton Hall Prep bestows on graduation has been represented by a Griffin Bridges student—Valedictorian, the Award for Academic Excellence, subject area medallions for excellence in Calculus, History, Theology, Language, Humanities, Art, and Literary Achievement, among others. The list of universities attended by these graduates reads like a list of the countries most competitive colleges and universities—Princeton, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Pratt, Villanova, Duke, Kenyon, and more. We are also proud to report that our Program Alumni are giving back to their local communities and the inner-city as professionals, sponsors, mentors, advisory committee members, volunteers, and teachers.

Apply Now for the Griffin Bridges Program

The Program Includes

In addition to a four-year commitment in financial aid, scholars and their families are provided with a formal and extensive support network which includes:

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The William A. Hagan Jr. ’50 Mentoring Program

William A. Hagan ‘50 was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 31, 1932. The Hagan family moved from Brooklyn to Manhasset, Long Island, N.Y. in 1942. Bill attended grade school and two years at Manhasset High School. He then transferred to Seton Hall Prep. and graduated from there in 1950. Following Mr. Hagan's graduation from The Prep, he attended Georgetown, followed by a three-year stint in the US Air Force. He then earned a law degree from Columbia Law School, followed by a career at Shea & Gould, a well-known national law firm, ultimately becoming a partner there. William Hagan passed away in December 2013. He believed deeply in what The Prep had done for him as a young man and how it laid the foundation for his career success and his life of service. The mentoring he received at The Prep stayed with him his entire life. As a result of Mr. Hagan's generous gift, his name has been permanently memorialized through the naming of The Griffin Bridges Mentoring Program at The Prep to the William A. Hagan Jr. ’50 Mentoring Program.
Peer “Big Brother” Program

Big Brothers provide day-to-day support for Freshman and Sophomore Griffin Bridges Scholars. Some of the specific responsibilities include: establishing a standing appointment with their "Little Brothers" twice a week, provide tutoring and academic support when needed, and keeping a positive outlook in order to help build self-esteem and confidence. Scholars become Big Brothers in the Program during their Junior and Senior Year.
A Four-Year Counselor/Social Worker

Griffin Bridges is fortunate to have, as part of the Program, a full time counselor who is also a social worker. His role is to support the Director in his efforts to promote the overall health and success of our Scholars. He provides four-year counseling, academic support, and college placement services. He also is a resource and support for the scholars' families, Big Brothers, and mentors.
A Full-Time Program Director

The Program Director is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Program. He facilitates all the activities necessary to ensure that the goals and objectives of the Program are met. He maintains a relationship with non-profit and service organizations operating within the students' communities in order to expand the Program's network, thus maximizing opportunity for students in the Griffin Bridges Program.
The Griffin Bridges Advisory Committee
The Griffin Bridges Advisory Committee
The Griffin-Bridges Advisory Committee is a group of committed individuals who volunteer their time to assist with all the aspects of the program. In addition to attending our functions, the group meets several times a year to work on program policy, fundraising, event planning, decision-making and plotting the future of the program. They are the core support group for Griffin Bridges.
Ex-Officio Members

Msgr. Michael E. Kelly ’57, President
Michael G. Gallo '79, Headmaster
Dr. James Incardona, Assistant Headmaster
Chris Barnitt ’88, Director of School Counselor & Social Worker
James Boyle, Director of Institutional Advancement
Michael T. Zinsmeister, Director of Admission and Financial Aid

Senior Advisors

Walt McMahon, History Dept. Chair, former Asst. Headmaster

The Committee

Chair
Lt. Ronald S. Glover, Public Information Unit Newark Police Department

Co-Chair
Dorrie Gagnon, Chief Executive Officer, Gagnon Inc.
- Richard Greene ’90, East Orange Board of Education Social Worker
- Kelli Hutchinson H’08, Surviving Daughter of the late Thomas J. Griffin
- Shavar Jeffries ‘92, Partner, Lowenstein Sandler (1st Graduate of Griffin Bridges Scholarship, Pre-Program)
- Samuel Stoia, Esq., Samuel J. Stoia, Attorney At Law, LLC
- M. Randall Strickland ‘80, Director, Cornerstone Capital Group