 How can the College Access & Opportunity Guide turn my students’ college dreams into action-oriented goals?
 First-generation, low-income and minority college-bound students have big plans and big dreams. They know why to go to college, but not necessarily how. Sadly that dream is not enough. College just doesn’t happen. There are specific steps these students need to take.
In collaboration with KnowHow2GO—a national college access campaign created in partnership with Lumina Foundation for Education, American Council on Education and the Ad Council—the College Access & Opportunity Guide provides a plan for first-generation and other underserved college-bound students to take four steps necessary to go to college.
Step 2: Push Yourself includes the following pieces of advice:
 • To get into college, start by taking the right classes in high school. Find out what classes you need to meet entrance requirements and sign up for them now.
• Lock in requirements. You may not need them to finish high school, but most colleges require three to four years of math, English, science and social studies.
• Meet the challenge. Sure, grades are important, but the tougher the courses you take, the more likely it is that a college will decide to take you.
 • In general, most colleges prefer students who challenge themselves with harder courses, even if they earn only average grades, than those who take easier courses just to get higher grades.
• Achieve honors. Honors and Advanced Placement courses are the gold standard for colleges and carry much more weight than other courses in working out your grade point average.
• Tap into computing. Courses in computer science (or even classes that require you to use computers in researching or completing projects) will give you the skills you need to make the grade at college. |
Many national foundations and associations, schools and school districts, and community-based organizations are supporting distributions of the College Access & Opportunity Guide to get this important resource in the hands of the students that deserve it. 
In collaboration with KnowHow2GO—a national college access campaign created in partnership with Lumina Foundation for Education, American Council on Education and the Ad Council—the College Access & Opportunity Guide provides a plan for first-generation and other underserved college-bound students to take four steps necessary to go to college.
