How to help low income and underserved students reach college.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to facilitate a discussion with a group of 27 high school counselors about college counseling. The issue was framed as “How do we help low income/underserved students reach college and be successful there?”

There were many inspiring and enlightening examples, as well as a sharing of some of the barriers faced by the counselors. At the end of the day the following options emerged as ways of dealing with the issue:

– focus on parents and their roles/responsibilities/needs;
– instill more college information in the high school curricula;
– more ACT test prep; and
– provide more information about the benefits of going to college.

Interestingly, the group did not rate “lack of money” as one of the top options.  It seems that for good students there is a way to reach college and succeed.