CollegePoint
First-generation college students disproportionately enroll at less selective colleges, despite experiencing higher graduation rates at more selective colleges. First-generation students are less likely to graduate from open admissions schools than their non-first generation peers.
Once enrolled in college, lower-income, first-generation students perform as well as their more affluent peers – and by “undermatching” may limit their academic and professional prospects. Students who attend top performing institutions eventually earn approximately 25% more than those who attend less selective colleges.
CollegePoint aims to help high-achieving, lower-income, first-generation students apply to, enroll in, and graduate from top-tier colleges and universities by providing critical virtual, one-on-one support and guidance. CollegePoint expands opportunity by:
- Virtually Advising Students: CollegePoint has already advised 63,000 high-achieving, lower-income students across the country. CollegePoint advisors help students navigate the college admissions and financial aid process and apply to and attend leading colleges and universities
- Producing Research: The initiative produces research on the impact of this intervention to effect change in higher education policies and practices and to share successful strategies with school systems, counselors, other nonprofit organizations and education leaders across the country
News
63,000 students advised by CollegePoint since 2014
But research shows that over 50% of high-achieving, lower-income students do not apply to any top-performing colleges or universities, despite their qualifications to attend:
- Many students are first-generation college goers and lack support from their families to navigate the complex college application process
- Lower-income families can lack the financial resources needed to explore attending schools far from home
- High schools serving predominantly lower-income students have, on average, one college counselor for every 400 students
Podcast
Rachel Maguire, a CollegePoint Advisor, and Logan Balfantz, a Recent CollegePoint Alum Who Is Now a Freshman at the University of Notre Dame Share How the Program Helped His College Application Process.
CollegePoint provides support and guidance on the college and financial aid process with its virtual advising program of its kind by:
- Matching trained advisors from Matriculate with high-achieving, lower-income first generation college students
- Having advisors use virtual interaction tools such as text, video conferencing, and document sharing to connect with students where they are and help them navigate the complex college admissions process
- Offering free, high-quality online content on the college and financial aid process from Khan Academy and our partner organizations
Learn more about how CollegePoint is changing who changes the world.
Learn more and see if you or a student you know is eligible for the program at collegepoint.info.
Top photo: Michelle Katmauswa, a student at Duke University and CollegePoint initiative participant, studies on campus.