Personalized College Prep for Talented Low-Income Students
We focus exclusively on low-income students with strong academic records at participating high schools. Our students are eager—they’ve already jumped through many hoops to get this far in their high school careers.
The College Match Process
Get Accepted
- Get a vision for college
- Personalized counseling
- SAT Prep
- Tutoring as needed
- Individual attention
- College visits (up to 50)
- Help with college applications
- Help with writing essays
- Regular contact with admissions offices to advocate for students
Get Funding
- Help with financial aid applications
- Help with scholarship applications
- Help with other college expenses, like a laptop computer, supplies like linens or a warm winter jackets, airfare, when needed
Get Your Diploma
- College Success Day program for students and parents
- Ongoing check-ins throughout college
- Support to help you make it through
Congratulations!
Our alumni believe so strongly in our services that they often return to help new students through the process.
Get InvolvedHow We Do It
Partnerships with High Schools
We have a selective screening process for schools and students.
- We have 31 partner high schools – we only choose schools that are ready for us
- School counselors identify high-achieving students during their first semester of junior year
- Students apply to join College Match – we evaluate based on their application, essay, interview and income verification
Relationships with Colleges & Universities
Many college admissions officers know about College Match and have already seen our students thrive at their schools. Every year we personally contact every school that every student applies to and advocate on their behalf.
- Phone calls and letters to every school; our recommendations are trusted and respected
- Close relationships with key admissions staff in at least 50 colleges across the country
- College Match is a pre-loaded, drop-down selection the Common Application when they ask students to identify a community organization that has worked with them
Side-by-Side with Students
College Match provides much more intensive one-on-one services than most other programs. We develop an individual strategy for each student.
Intensive College Prep Starting Junior Year of High School
- All-expenses-paid college campus visits across the country
- Access to small group intensive SAT preparation and 1:1 academic tutoring with teachers/independent contractors (not SAT factory instructors)
- Additional one-on-one tutoring as needed
- Intensive summer workshops to get ready for college applications
- Continued SAT prep during 1st semester of senior year
Mentors Who Are Deeply Invested in Student Success
- College counselors adopt a cohort of 10-20 students, side-by-side with students through the entire process from junior year preparations to senior year applications and beyond
- Personal attention to help with all applications and essays, and the financial aid process
- Individualized advice to help each student choose the best schools
- Mentoring and counsel that continues informally through college, as desired
Participating High Schools
- Alliance ESAT
- Alliance Gertz-Ressler
- Alliance Mohan
- Alliance Ouchi
- Alliance Stern MASS
- Ánimo Inglewood
- Ánimo Jackie Robinson
- Ánimo Leadership
- Ánimo Oscar de la Hoya
- Bell
- Bravo Medical Magnet
- Camino Nuevo Dalzell Lance
- Camino Nuevo Miramar
- The Downtown Magnets
- Eagle Rock
- Environmental Charter High School
- Franklin
- Green Steam Academy
- The International Studies
- James A. Garfield
- King Drew Magnet
- LACES
- Larchmont
- Manual Arts
- Mendez
- NAVA College Prep
- Santee
- Steam Legacy
- West Adams
- Wilson
- Verbum Dei
70% of College Match graduates are admitted into a Top-25 college or university.
95% of College Match graduates are admitted into a Top-50 college or university.