Coaching Compass · 2026-27

Keeping up theP.A.C.E.

The numbers we're chasing as an organization, and the part you play in moving each one.

PPrioritize Academic Excellence
AAdvance Personal & Professional Growth
CConnect with as Many People as Possible
EEmbrace & Celebrate Every Win
Why P.A.C.E.

Only 1 in 10 low-income, first-generation students finishes college. Level Up exists to change that, and we measure how we're doing every semester.

P.A.C.E. shows you the numbers we're chasing as an organization and the part you play in moving each one. We track the numbers. You're the person in your scholar's corner.

Your monthly meeting is the anchor. Waypoints tells you what's coming this month and what to talk about. P.A.C.E. tells you what it all adds up to.

What we're chasing
90%+
Retention
The number behind everything.

Scholars who stay with it and finish. Every goal below feeds this one.

76%
Relationship depth
The one that's most yours.

76% of our coaching relationships reached advanced depth. The stronger your relationship, the more every other number moves.

How we measure it Every month, the Pulse asks you and your scholar to rate your relationship from 1 to 5 stars, from “We're struggling” to “We're thriving.” A 4 or 5 is advanced depth. Each semester, the survey also asks you both where the relationship sits on five stages:
  1. 1Initiating
  2. 2Experimenting
  3. 3Intensifying
  4. 4Integrating
  5. 5Bonding

Every relationship starts at stage one. The goal is to keep moving up.

P

Prioritize Academic Excellence

What we're chasing
Scholars doing well in school on the way to a degree in their major.
Where we are
96%in good standing
3.33average GPA, above the 3.1 national average for public university students
48%on the Dean's List
Your role
Encourage the effort, and help them find support. Ask how classes are going. Cheer the good grades out loud. When a class gets hard, help them find tutoring, office hours, or their advisor early. We track grades every semester, so you don't have to.
A

Advance Personal & Professional Growth

What we're chasing
Scholars who graduate with real experience in their field. Our goal is at least two internships or co-ops before graduation, ideally starting as early as the summer after freshman or sophomore year.
How we track it
Every semester, the survey asks each scholar about work: a job, a co-op, or an internship.
Your role
Build the career toolkit. Resume, LinkedIn, applications, practice interviews, and what you know about your own field.
C

Connect with as Many People as Possible

What we're chasing
Scholars building a professional network of their own.
Where we are
100%of scholars made new professional connections
Your role
Grow their network. Introductions from your own network, informational interviews, networking events, and the Launch Network.
E

Embrace & Celebrate Every Win

What we're chasing
Scholars who feel seen, supported, and part of the Level Up family.
Where we are
4.95 / 5average program satisfaction from scholars
Your role
Notice the progress. Name the wins out loud, soon and specifically, and invite their family in.

Figures from Level Up's 2025 Impact Report.

The Big Four

Four things every scholar works on.

One for each letter. They're the foundation of the program, and they're where your encouragement matters most.

P

Do well in school on the way to a degree in their major.

Scholars aim to keep a GPA above what their major requires to graduate, and we follow their grades every semester.

Your partEncouragement. Ask how classes are going, celebrate the good grades, and help them find support when a class gets hard.

In the appPeer Tutoring (UC)

A

Resume and LinkedIn ready by the end of sophomore year.

They start both at Freshman Professional Development Day, so this is a low bar.

Your partAsk to see them, suggest one improvement each time, and help get them to “ready to send.”

In the appCrafting a Standout Resume · Level Up Your LinkedIn

C

Stay connected.

An in-person meeting with you every month, the monthly Pulse check-in in the app, and a short survey at the end of each semester.

Your partMeet in person each month, answer your own Pulse, and complete your coach survey after each semester plus the year-end reflection. If a month is about to slip, reschedule instead of skipping.
E

Show up and celebrate together.

Level Up events are where the wins get celebrated.

  • ScholarsFreshman Orientation (first year), Match Day, Professional Development Day, the Annual Finance Dinner, the Networking Month event, the End of Year Celebration, and Graduation Dinner senior year.
  • CoachesMatch Day, the Networking Month event, your monthly one-on-one meetings with your scholar, the quarterly Coach Happy Hours, the End of Year Celebration, and Graduation Dinner when your scholar is a senior.

Exact dates live in the app.

Your partGo together.
Setting goals together

After Match Day, and again at the start of each semester, sit down with your scholar and set one goal for each letter. Nobody tracks these. They're a way for the two of you to decide what's worth talking about, and a reason to come back to it each month.

  • P“B or better in Chem 2.” / “See my advisor before registration opens.”
  • A“Update my resume after PD Day.” / “Apply to three internships.”
  • C“One informational interview with someone in marketing.”
  • E“Invite my family to the End of Year Celebration.”

Keep each goal small enough to finish in a semester. Write them down somewhere you'll both see them. At the end of the semester, look back together: what got done, what didn't, and what's next. Then celebrate what got done.

In the appMentorship Goal Setting Worksheet

My scholar is a…

Every year has one big question, and the focus shifts with it. All four letters matter every year. The focus letters are where your time goes first.

Freshman year · Transition Coach

“Do I belong here?”

FocusPE

The answer your scholar needs to hear out loud is yes. This year is about finding their footing, building study habits before the first midterms show the gap between high school and college, and learning that asking for help is a skill, not a weakness.

P

Prioritize Academic ExcellenceFocus

  • Find the academic help on campus in the first month: tutoring, the advisor, office hours, the library.

    Why: scholars who know where help is use it before they need it.

    Your moveAsk, “Where would you go if a class went sideways?” If they don't know, look it up together.

  • Meet with their academic advisor at least once a semester.

    Why: the advisor knows the degree map. Without that meeting, a missing requirement shows up late, when it's expensive to fix.

    Your moveAsk if it's on the calendar. You don't need to be in the room.

  • Use tutoring early, at least twice a semester in their hardest class.

    Why: tutoring works best as a habit, not a rescue.

    In the appPeer Tutoring (UC)

A

Advance Personal & Professional Growth

  • Start the resume and LinkedIn at Freshman PD Day.

    Why: both are part of the Big Four by the end of sophomore year, and a first draft now makes that easy.

    Your moveAsk to see both after PD Day and suggest one improvement.

    In the appCrafting a Standout Resume · Level Up Your LinkedIn

  • Explore student organizations tied to their interests or career, and join one.

    Why: it's where they find their people, and it's their first real resume line.

  • Research Cincinnati companies and roles in their field.

    Why: it's hard to aim at something you can't name.

    In the appCareer Research

C

Connect with as Many People as Possible

  • Two informational interviews with people in careers they're curious about.

    Why: a 20-minute conversation can confirm a major, or save a year on the wrong one.

    Your moveMake the first introduction from your own network.

E

Embrace & Celebrate Every WinFocus

  • Celebrate the firsts: first exam that went well, first finals week, first semester done.

    Why: many of these are firsts for the whole family. Being noticed is what keeps people going.

    Your moveSend an “I saw how hard you worked” text at the end of each semester, and invite their family to celebrate progress. The End of Year Celebration is a natural time.

Going further

An internship, co-op, or job in their field the summer after freshman year. Great if it happens. Not expected.

Sophomore year · Transition Coach

“Is this the right major?”

FocusPA

The novelty is gone and graduation still feels far away, so motivation can dip. This is the year to confirm the major (or change it while it's cheapest to do), finish the career basics, and land a first internship or co-op.

P

Prioritize Academic ExcellenceFocus

  • Review the transcript and course track against their career goal, with their advisor.

    Why: sophomore year is the cheapest time to change direction.

    Your moveAsk, “If you switched majors, what would it be?” The answer tells you a lot.

  • Keep the advisor meeting every semester, and go into registration with a plan.

    Why: registration appointments go by credit hours, so underclassmen pick last. A plan with backups beats a closed class.

A

Advance Personal & Professional GrowthFocus

  • Resume and LinkedIn finished by the end of the year. This one is part of the Big Four.

    Your moveReview both together until they're ready to send.

  • First internship or co-op by sophomore summer.

    Why: the goal is at least two before graduation, and the first one makes the second one easier to land.

    Your moveHelp pick targets, review the application, and run a practice interview.

    In the appAce the Interview · Interview ChatBot: STAR Stories

  • Join a professional organization, at UC or in Cincinnati.

C

Connect with as Many People as Possible

  • An informational interview with someone in their field of study.

  • Treat every job as a network. Coffee or lunch with a coworker or supervisor counts.

    Why: the people they already work with are the easiest connections to make.

E

Embrace & Celebrate Every Win

  • Celebrate the major decision, the finished resume, and the first internship or co-op offer.

The Handoff · End of sophomore year

If your scholar is moving from their Transition Coach to a Career Coach, this is the moment. Transition Coaches: write a short note to the Career Coach about who your scholar is beyond the paperwork, and make the introduction yourself. A group text beats a cold start. Then celebrate what the two of you built.

Junior year · Career Coach

“What am I building toward?”

FocusAC

Now it's about career identity: internships and co-ops that turn into offers, a real professional network, and leadership.

P

Prioritize Academic Excellence

  • Keep encouraging the effort and asking how classes are going. See the Big Four.

A

Advance Personal & Professional GrowthFocus

  • Identify five internships and apply to at least three each semester.

    Why: applications are a numbers game. Three a semester keeps options open.

    Your moveShare what your industry looks for and review applications before they go out.

  • Land a second internship or co-op in their field.

    Why: two before graduation is the goal.

C

Connect with as Many People as PossibleFocus

  • Use the Launch Network.

    Why: it exists for exactly this. Local professionals and partners who want to meet our scholars.

    Your moveIntroduce your scholar to at least one person from your own network each semester.

    In the appLaunch Network Request

  • Four professional networking events a year, two on campus and two off. The Networking Month event counts.

    In the appNetworking Event Preparation Checklist

E

Embrace & Celebrate Every Win

  • Celebrate the offer, a strong co-op evaluation, a leadership role.

Going further

A leadership role in a campus organization. A certification or a course outside their major that sets them apart. Level Up's Professional Advancement Fund can help pay for certifications, exams, test prep, and workshops. Scholars request it with the reimbursement form in the app.

In the appProfessional Advancement Reimbursement Form

Senior year · Career Coach

“What happens after?”

FocusACE
P

Prioritize Academic Excellence

  • Keep encouraging the effort and asking how classes are going. See the Big Four.

A

Advance Personal & Professional GrowthFocus

  • Refresh the resume and LinkedIn, and run the job search with a plan.

    Why: a steady weekly rhythm beats a scramble in April.

    Your moveHelp set the rhythm and check on it at your monthly meeting.

  • Walk through every offer together: salary, benefits, 401(k), time off, relocation.

    Why: many first-gen grads have never seen an offer negotiated up close. You have.

    Your movePractice the negotiation, and review the offer letter within 48 hours of it landing.

    In the appManaging & Growing Personal Finances

  • Stay on top of the graduation application and deadlines.

C

Connect with as Many People as PossibleFocus

  • Four networking events, two on campus and two off.

  • Turn connections into introductions for real openings.

    Your moveMake the ask to your network on their behalf.

E

Embrace & Celebrate Every WinFocus

  • Celebrate graduation like family would. Graduation Dinner is the big one, and their family belongs there too.

    Why: this is two exits at once, from college and from being a scholar. Both deserve to be marked.

What good looks like
P

They're going to class, they've seen their advisor this semester, and they ask for help before the midterm, not after the final.

A

A resume they'd be comfortable sending today, a complete LinkedIn profile, and at least one real application in motion each semester from sophomore year on.

C

A meaningful connection is a real conversation, not a name tag at an event. Your scholar learns something specific or leaves with a next step (advice, a name, an application), then follows up with a thank-you. Count conversations, not business cards.

E

The win gets named soon and specifically. “Proud of you” is good. “You went from a C to a B+ after you started going to office hours, and that habit is going to carry you” is better.

Adjusting the path

Not every scholar walks a straight line through college. The goals stay the same. The timing moves.

Co-op rotations

UC runs co-op for all its students, so many scholars will alternate semesters of work and school, and every co-op counts toward the two-internship goal. Ask for their rotation calendar early. On a work rotation, your check-ins shift to the job: a first real paycheck, working with a manager, what they're learning. If a rotation takes them out of town, talk to JeRod about keeping the monthly meeting going.

A leave of absence

We stick with our scholars through a leave until we're sure they've decided not to finish school. Keep reaching out, keep the relationship going, and encourage them to come back. Lean on E: notice what they're doing well, in or out of school. Loop in JeRod so we can support them too. A scholar on leave is the one who most needs to hear from you.

Changing majors

It's common, and earlier is easier. Reset the A and C goals around the new direction.

When to call us

JeRod Lindsey, Director of Student Success, is your first call. Jim Rodarte, Executive Director, is always an option too. Call early. We'd rather hear about something early than late.

Call when:

  • A grade is sliding, or your scholar mentions an academic warning.
  • They're thinking about taking a leave, transferring, or leaving school.
  • Money, housing, food, or family is getting in the way of school.
  • You haven't been able to reach them in a month.
  • You're stuck and want to talk it through.
Call right away if anyone's safety is at risk.
About confidentiality: what your scholar tells you stays between the two of you, unless they say it's OK to share or someone's safety is at stake. Most of the time the move is simple: “Can I loop in JeRod? JeRod can help with this.”
How it all fits
  • Your monthly meetingWhere the work happens.
  • P.A.C.E.The numbers we're chasing and your part in each.
  • WaypointsWhat's coming this month and what to talk about.
  • Coaching CompassThe monthly email with ideas, stories, and reminders.
  • PulseThe monthly check-in in the app, and how we know how it's going.
  • Semester surveysThe bigger picture, every semester.
  • App ResourcesWorksheets, guides, curriculum, and forms. Anything marked “In the app” on this page lives in the Resources tab of the Level Up app.