MOUNT VERNON, N.Y.--This summer Eugenie A. Lang '00 drove down Route 9 from Scarsdale to Mount Vernon for her summer job. Along the way the houses became closer together, the trees thinner and the crowds lingering on street corners more diverse.

"There are visible economic differences," Lang says. "Not all the [Mount Vernon] kids drive cars. It's closer to the Bronx so its more urban...The kids pass through metal detectors when they pass into school."

Lang went home to relax and get away from the pressure of Harvard, but soon realized she could use the skills and privilege that got her there to help students in the neighboring community.

In Mount Vernon, which meets the Bronx on its northern side, the median household income, was $34,850 according to the 1990 U.S. Census. The census also noted that the area is 55.3 percent black and 39.8 percent white.

"Mount Vernon is a city that has the largest number of churches in Westchester," says native Cynthia Edwards. Edwards' daughter Jennifer, 17, attended Get Ready!, a free SAT prep course that Lang began this summer.

Cynthia Edwards says Mount Vernon public schools fail to prepare students to compete with those from neighboring communities like Scarsdale, with a median income of $120,825 and a population that is 83.9 percent white, 13.7 percent Asian, and 2.2 percent black, according to the census data.

"I think kids need to be exposed to the importance of SAT scores," Edwards says. "They need to be afforded every opportunity to be accepted to the college of their choice."

Scarsdale High School students scored an average of 1233 out of 1600 on their SATs for the 1996-1997 academic year. Mount Vernon students averaged only 871 points. School profiles show 95 percent of Scarsdale students attend four-year colleges after high school, versus 51 percent of Mount Vernon students.

"The two communities really have so little to do with each other," Lang says, adding that she set out to change that by starting Get Ready!

When she arrived in Scarsdale in early July, Lang held a meeting for several of her friends-friends whom she knew had excelled on their SATs. At the same time, she began searching for space in Mount Vernon where she could hold the course.

Within two weeks five tutors-all Scarsdale High School grads-had volunteered, and The Community Church at the Circle in Mount Vernon donated its facilities for the thrice-weekly class. As word spread, anonymous donations poured into Lang's makeshift "office" set up temporarily in her bedroom at home. A local bookstore sold the program SAT prep books at cost and several professional teachers also donated course materials. Other donations included cash gifts and used prep books.

"I was amazed at how receptive people were," Lang says. "We entered a community and we made a couple of essential contacts and people welcomed us with open arms."

Two weeks into July the group had a logo, publicity, five teachers, a supportive community and an information session underway.

Everyone a Student

"My parents have spent thousands on SAT programs," says Edwin Lee, a senior at Scarsdale High School this fall.