For students who don’t have a family history of higher education, college is your opportunity to become a step closer to achieving your dreams!
I’m First‘s Opportunity Knocks features campus programs and opportunities for first-generation college students. Below are highlights of Pre-College Prep & Outreach opportunities at 13 of our College Partners.
Visit I’m First to join our community and discover your college opportunity!
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Cornell University Ithaca, NY Let’s Get Ready! Cornell’s Let’s Get Ready! program mobilizes those who live and work around disadvantaged students to actively support education. It provides free SAT preparation courses and college/financial aid advising to underserved high school students, and it involves families, schools, churches, and businesses in offering these services. Read more |
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Franklin & Marshall College Lancaster, PA National College Advising Corps – Keystone Region Based at F&M, this organization provides underserved, rural high schools in Pennsylvania with trained college advisers to help low-income, first-generation students make the transition from high school to college. Advisers assist students with the college search and application process through both individual and group meetings. Read more |
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Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley, PA Upward Bound The Upward Bound program is a comprehensive pre-college preparatory program designed to aid students who are interested in attending college. Program offerings include: academic instruction, tutorial and counseling services, PSAT/SAT workshops, financial aid information, visits to colleges, and cultural and social activities. First generation students who are enrolled in grades 9, 10 and 11 at one of the designated Diocesan city high schools are eligible. Read more |
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King’s College Wilkes-Barre, PA Hispanic Outreach Program The King’s College Hispanic Outreach Program’s focus is to create an organized framework for the purpose of building strong relationships between the Latino Community and King’s College, as well as to assist in addressing the needs of Latino community members and their families. Read more |
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Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Students That Are Ready (S.T.A.R) Academies A partnership between Lehigh University and local schools, businesses, and parents, the Students That Are Ready Academies provide local middle and high school aged students with access to two unique programs: a year-long academic success & mentoring program for students in sixth through twelfth grades, and a three-week summer program in math, science and technology for students entering sixth through ninth grades. STAR also offers a Summer Eighth Grade Experience (SEE) that helps current academy students transition into high school. Read more |
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Linfield College McMinnville, OR First CLAS Before their peers even set foot on campus, first-generation and underrepresented students with First CLAS (Community, Leadership, Action and Service) can gain leadership skills and begin making friends during a week-long service immersion program. First CLAS gives new students an opportunity to engage with the community through volunteer outreach, and participants can help lead a service event held later in the year. Read more |
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Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA Focus on Diversity & Experience Diversity Yearly, Mount Holyoke College sponsors Focus on Diversity (fall) and Experience Diversity (spring) — two programs that allow students who are particularly interested in and committed to issues of diversity to visit Mount Holyoke, experience the college’s tight-knit and dynamic student body, and dialogue about these issues. Focus on Diversity occurs in the fall for prospective students, while the Experience Diversity program takes place in the spring for accepted students and their families. Both programs have fly-in and bus-in travel arrangements for students. Read more |
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Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ Educational Talent Search (ETS) Educational Talent Search is a year round pre-college program that provides services to low income and potential firstgeneration middle and high school students in Northern Arizona. Talent Search’s goals are to increase educational and career awareness among its participants, increase the number of students who complete high school and encourage our participants to continue and enroll in post-secondary education. Read more |
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Roger Williams University Bristol, RI Discovery Series Each year, the University hosts a series of college discovery events for students from local school districts, many of whom are first-generation and from under-represented communities. Annual events include 5th Grade Day, a program that brings local fifth graders to campus for tours and student presentations; the FIRST LEGO League Robotics Competition, which brings young minds to campus to inspire their curiosity in technology and engineering; and a statewide Girl Scout event, a collaborative, interactive engineering exposition for outstanding young women interested in science and technology education. Read more |
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Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA Pathways to Success Pathways to Success empowers underserved local middle school and high school students. Saint Vincent students act as mentors during the year-round program and provide participants with support structures and ongoing educational opportunities. With special attention to academic development, cultural awareness, community service and personal development, the program tailors educational content and methods to complement both the goals of cooperating schools and Pennsylvania’s academic standards. Read more |
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Trinity Washington University Washington, DC Ensuring Smooth Transition Trinity works closely with the DC College Success Foundation, the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP) and other programs to ensure a smooth transition from high school to college. Read more |
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Pre-College and Pipeline Initiatives The Student Success Center is pleased to collaborate with the academic colleges, high schools and pre-college programs throughout the Commonwealth for college information sessions and summer day camps. These programs are designed to promote college attendance and vocational training after high school. The target populations are: first-generation, low-income, TRIO Program participants and groups under-represented in higher education. Read more |
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Willamette University Salem, OR Willamette Academy Willamette Academy reaches out to historically underrepresented communities by empowering youth who have the desire and potential to advance to higher education. This academic program is designed to address a number of factors that may discourage certain students from attending college or otherwise impede their academic progress. We are committed to helping our students achieve at a level that will enable them to attend the four-year college or university of their choice. Read more |