Get Involved

Volunteer with College Match

We are always looking for people passionate about helping talented students from low-income families get into and graduate from the nation’s top colleges and universities.

College Counselors (1-Year Commitment)

College Match has become a valuable college access program that can be replicated because of the hours of commitment, experience and knowledge our volunteers provide.

Our College Counselor Volunteers are the foundation of College Match’s success. If you want to have a lasting impact on an organization and individual students, join our counseling team.

After a personal orientation to the College Match mission and process, you will be paired with one of our Senior College Counselors. You’ll spend time shadowing at a school site and observe how to:

  • Help individual students craft a personal statement
  • Develop a best-fit college list for each student
  • Encourage and motivate students to stay on top of college deadlines
  • Help students fill out financial aid forms and scholarship applications
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Essay Coaches (4-Month Commitment)

College Match has become a valuable college access program that can be replicated because of the hours of commitment, experience and knowledge our volunteers provide.

Essay Coaches may work with students virtually, communicate through email/Google Docs, or in person. Many of our essay coaches come back to volunteer as College Counselors.

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Speakers (1 Day)

College Match hosts various events throughout the year. These events include:

  • College Success Day for graduating seniors
  • College Application workshops in the summer for juniors
  • Alumni Reunion in December

We appreciate presenters who are willing to share their college and /or professional journey.

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Career Advisor (2-3 Times a Year)

Most College Match students are first-generation college students. First-generation students are far less likely to have well-connected friends and business associates. Our students do not have the family resources, extended networks or financial security to take full advantage of the college experience. You can help!

  • Bring your expertise and College Match staff will arrange best way to interact and support college students
  • Provide career guidance and advice to individual college students throughout the year
  • Talk to a small group of students about your industry
  • Provide a career shadow opportunity
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Volunteer Testimonials

"College Match has changed my life in so many ways. I never imagined how strong the connection would be with my students, and how much they would teach me about resilience and hope. Through College Match, I have made connections with students and families of many cultures...I have seen how they struggle financially...I know I am helping to change their lives by helping them to get into great colleges."

– Ellen Nagler, Real Estate Lawyer College Match Counselor

"Though my job is to teach, mentor and direct the students, I truly have learned more from them. Their courage to aim high, to forge their own path, to attend challenging colleges far from home, far from anything familiar, and to do what it takes, is truly inspirational to me. My involvement with CM has enhanced my life. People often tell me that I am doing a good and noble thing, as if it is somehow a sacrifice. I squirm a little at these well-meaning comments. The reality is that CM is a gift to me."

– Barbara Dobkin, College Match Counselor

"The past five years, I have served as a college counselor for College Match and it has been one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences of my life. The students we support are incredibly persistent, brave, intelligent and have beaten the odds. Working with them is a privilege."

– Michelle Nadel, College Match Counselor

"I never have a bad day when I am with my [College Match] students. They're a lot like kids anywhere with a couple of important distinctions. They feel entitled to nothing. They are grateful for everything. Treated with kindness and respect, they repay in kind. With interest. Their trust, their openness, their generosity is a gift."

– Brock Walsh, Songwriter, Former College Admissions Officer College Match Counselor

"I've lived in a suburb of Los Angeles for 30+ years and through College Match I've reached out beyond my local community to serve the greater metropolis of Los Angeles. For me, it is both meaningful and empowering to have a role in bettering this city by volunteering in its diverse neighborhoods and by helping its young people achieve the high level of education they deserve."

– Kathryn, College Match Counselor

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