About

Helping talented students from low-income families get into and graduate from the nation's top colleges and universities.

Each student is assigned a dedicated college counselor to guide them through the process from application to graduation.

For every dollar we raise, College Match generates a return on investment of 2,000% in total financial assistance for our students.

Successful

A rigorous program helping motivated students.

  • 95% admitted to a Top 50 school
  • SAT scores increase by an average of 344 points (under the old SAT)
  • 6 admitted into the rarest of all admissions possibilities – 8-year Brown Medical School
  • 6 Fulbright Scholars – one of the most prestigious post-grad awards available
  • 40 Gates Millennium Scholars – which covers both undergrad and graduate financial needs

Replicable

Honing our approach since 2003.

  • For every dollar we raise, College Match generates a return on investment of 2,000% in total financial assistance for our students
  • Average annual cost per student is approximately $3,076
  • Staff train, manage and guide our college counselors, who are retired professionals with experience in college life and admissions

Trusted

Dedicated staff and volunteers invest in our students' success.

  • Students and parents feel supported by committed advocates
  • University admissions officers have seen College Match students thrive
  • High school counselors know their top performers are in the best hands

Join College Match

High school juniors interested in College Match should reach out to their school’s college counselor.

A Legacy of Improving Access to Education

Harley Frankel Founder

College Match was founded by Harley Frankel, who has dedicated his career to improving education. He led the National Head Start program, was heavily involved in the federal student financial aid program, was senior executive for the Children’s Defense Fund, and helped select the first secretary of education while a senior White House aide in the Carter Administration. He was the first in his family to attend college. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Erica Rosales Executive Director

Executive director Erica Rosales was assistant dean of admissions at Occidental College in Los Angeles. She also helped start the first charter high school in Los Angeles, where she was a teacher, a college counselor and principal. After graduating from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, she was a first-generation college student at Wellesley College—where she arrived on campus alone, carrying her own suitcases. She went on to earn her master’s in education from UCLA. Today she indulges her passion for helping low-income, first-generation students pursue their higher education dreams.

Our Staff

All staff members and volunteers share a belief that education changes lives. They combine experience in formal education and elite admissions, with a range of expertise spanning the spectrum of professional careers.

Advisory Board

College Match is honored to have a distinguished group of advisors who guide us in meeting our goals.

  • Bruce Newberg (Chair), Businessman and Investor
  • Dolores Arredondo, Segment Manager, Personal and Business Banking, City National Bank
  • Robert Benson, Professional Assist Corp; Former President, Children’s World
  • Richard Foos, Businessman
  • Jon Glaser, Businessman and Investor
  • Cyrus Hadidi, Managing Partner, Arts & Sciences Investment Management
  • Robert Israel, Investor
  • Tony Reveles, LAUSD Assistant Principal
  • Virgil Roberts, Partner, Bobbitt & Roberts, Los Angeles School Reform Leader
  • Jeffrey Sudikoff, Businessman
  • David Velasquez, Assistant Head of The Brentwood School, Former Director of Admissions and College Counseling, The Brentwood School
  • Beth Karmin, Philanthropist
  • Nico Mizrahi, Partner, First Pacific Advisors
  • Nadeem Khan, Capital Group
  • Richard Bergman, Businessman and Investor
95%

95% of our students have graduated from college.

College Match could not exist without the generous and enthusiastic support of so many dedicated donors and volunteers.

If you would like to make a contribution to College Match, THANK YOU! No amount is too small, and all contributions are cherished.

You Can Help!

Donate Volunteer

"Wow! Congratulations. If there were a Nobel Prize for college admissions, you'd be a shoo-in."

– Edward B. Fiske Former Education Editor of The New York Times and Author of The Fiske Guide to Colleges

"You believed in us so much that we finally began believing in ourselves."

– Rosa Avila Yale, OB/GYN, Mercy Hospital & Medical Center Chicago

"College Match is one of the top college access programs in the country. You make a positive difference in the lives of a lot of deserving kids."

– David Borus Former Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Vassar College

"I went from Jordan High School [in Watts] to standing next to a member of the Supreme Court."

– Antonio Ingram Yale & Berkeley Law — Morrison & Foerster, Federal Judicial Clerkship, Government of Malawi

"Just spectacular. So many people we know are talk, talk, talking. You are doing. What a powerful impact you are having-changing the lives of so many young people. Just think where most of them would be were it not for you and your work."

– Arnie Miller Former Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office

"College Match is a network for students to connect with one another and strive for their dreams together."

– Rudy Torres Brown University

"It is clear that you are doing extremely important work to enable these young people to realize their potential. Nothing could be more important. Keep it going."

– Bill George Former CEO of Medtronic and the author of the best selling book, True North, which focuses on outstanding leadership

"I will be graduating from Columbia Law School and hope to make contributions to improving the wellbeing of low-income minority communities through looking at disparities in public health."

– Jennifer Anderson Columbia Law School

"Exceptionally impressive."

– Mel Levine Former United States Congressman

"College Match is doing the work that is so essential to youngsters with talent who need a staircase more than a step to reach their educational goals."

– Shirley M. Hufstedler Former U. S. Secretary of Education

"I want to commend you on the work you are doing with students in the Los Angeles area. It is work that is definitely needed."

– Mike Krzyzewski Head Basketball Coach at Duke University and U. S. Olympic Coach

"Your record is simply incredible. We watch with great admiration as College Match offers a pathway for so many young people to realize their potential. Your vision and record are truly inspirational."

– Bill Corr Former Deputy Secretary, Federal Dept. Of Health and Human Services

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