The Need

Many of Providence's high school students embark on the college admissions process with high hopes but little expertise. Applying to college is a daunting process for affluent students with ample support; for students with fewer resources, college can often feel like an unattainable goal. College Visions serves youth with a critical need for support in the college admissions process.

Most College Visions students have few economic and educational resources. Nearly all qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch at school, and only 16% have a parent with a bachelor's degree. Over two thirds live in single-parent homes.

Most are members of racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in higher education. College Visions students are 51% African-American, 34% Latino/a, 8% bi- or multi-racial, 4% white, and 3% Asian. Almost 20% were born outside the United States, and nearly three quarters are children of recent immigrants.

Though they show great potential, many have had trouble achieving academic success in their struggling schools. The typical College Visions student has a GPA of 2.4 (out of 4.0) - which is a C+ - and a combined SAT score of 850 (out of 1600).

Statistics show that low-income and first-generation college-bound students are the demographic groups most at risk of not attending college. One in three of America's low-income youth can expect to enroll in college. Only one in seven will earn a bachelor's degree. However, a college degree is, and will continue to be, one of the main criteria for societal success. Salary, wide career options, and overall quality of life all correlate with increased levels of higher education. For most low-income Providence-area high school students, college provides the only viable path to upward mobility.

In an ideal world, all students would receive effective college advising in their high schools. In reality, our public schools are struggling to accomplish a number of important goals and seldom have the resources to provide comprehensive college counseling. Middle-class students whose parents have degrees often receive decent college admissions advice around the dinner table, if not from skilled professional counselors at well-resourced schools. In most cases, low-income, first-generation college-bound students do not have access to this kind of support as they apply to college.

Until our schools have the resources to develop a far-reaching college advising system, the community must create alternative means by which students can achieve their educational goals. College Visions meets this need.