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1. Closing the College Admissions Gap © 2011 Applytogether, Inc.

2. Valedictorian First-Generation High School Graduate Built robots for fun No internet at home Had never heard the word “dean” Didn’t understand how to apply to college Overwhelmed guidance department Michael Booker’s Dilemma

3. “Many apparently qualified students still do not apply, and a disproportionate share of these ‘missing applicants’ come from high schools that have little or no tradition of sending applications to selective private colleges.” Selective Colleges’ Dilemma Source: Cost Should Be No Barrier: An Evaluation of the First Year of Harvard's Financial Aid Initiative (Avery, Hoxby, Jackson, Burek, Poppe)

5. Do not believe they can afford tuition at competitive colleges

6. Do not know they are the most in-demand college applicantsThe Application Knowledge Gap

8. Do this by pairing these high school students with mentors who understand the college admissions process

9. Replicate this mentorship on a large scale by building a website that pairs applicants and mentors

10. Provide a structure to guide applicant/mentor pairs through the application process

11. Create online tools so applicants and mentors can collaborateHow to Close the Gap Source: AchivemenTrap: How America Is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families (Wyner, Bridgeland, Diulio)

12. ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP WORKS Michael is currently a Gateway Scholar at the University of Texas at Austin studying Electrical Engineering. He is the first person in his family to go to college.

13. “My mother is someone who has made a major impact on my life. She is one of the most essential necessities I have had in my life. My mother possesses all of the good features a good mother has. Also, she influences my life in numerous ways.” First Draft of Michael’s College Essay

14. “When I do something, my mother is type of mother that wants to know who is with me, what will be done, when we will do it, and where we will do it. One day, I disobeyed this rule. I went over my friend’s house to complete some work after school without telling her. When I made it home, she gave me the classic “If a child thinks he or she is grown, get out!” speech. She told me that since I refused to abide by one of her rules, she would kick me out the house and put me on my own. Unfortunately, I was only twelve years old at the moment. My mother shows tough love, but her overprotection has kept me from doing drugs, joining a gang, or dropping out of school.” Michael’s College Essay with One-on-one Advice from a Mentor

15. Our Approach Pair high school students like Michael with a college mentor, who provides one-on-one advice, and only helps that student Provide a website through which the applicant and mentor can collaborate, research schools, and keep track of applications and admissions-related tasks Create resources that explain the college application process in a simple, clear and effective way Strongly encourage high school students to apply to selective schools, which have the most generous financial aid programs, and highest graduation rates

16. Website Functions Track Tasks Organize Conversations Facilitate College Research Track Applications Provide Tutorials

17. Conversation List Introductions (Applicant, Parent and Mentor) College Selection 1, Application Requirements (Applicant and Mentor) Recommendations/Resume Overview (Applicant and Mentor) How to write College Essays (Applicant and Mentor) PS, AE, Resume First Drafts (Applicant and Mentor) College Selection 2, School-specific first drafts Overview (Applicant, Parent and Mentor) PS, AE, Resume, School-Specific Second Drafts (Applicant and Mentor) College Selection 3, School-specific second drafts (Applicant and Mentor) PS, AE, Resume, School-specific Third Drafts (Applicant and Mentor) PS, AE, Resume, School-specific Final Drafts (Applicant and Mentor) Packaging Applications (Applicant, Parent and Mentor ) Confirmation (Applicant and Mentor) FAFSA (Applicant, Parent and Mentor) Spring Check-In (Applicant, Parent and Mentor) Decision-Making Overview (Applicant, Parent and Mentor) PS: Personal Statement AE: Activity Essay

19. Answers emails and responds to mentor

20. Asks for help when needed

21. Works hard to get into college

22. Maintains GPA

23. Keeps applicant on task and on track

24. Provides one-on-one coaching, advice, and support

25. Communicates with parents

26. Enforces deadlines

27. Works for applicantMentorResponsibilities ApplicantResponsibilities

28. While almost all high-achieving, low-income students go to college, only 56% actually graduate. How can we find a way to increase the graduation rate of these students? The Problem of Low Graduation Rates Source: AchivemenTrap: How America Is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families (Wyner, Bridgeland, Diulio)

29. “[O]ur research reveals one factor that strongly predicts success for [high-achieving, lower-income] students: the selectivity of the college they enter. Specifically, the more selective the college a high-achieving lower-income student attends, the more likely that student will graduate; the less selective the college, the more likely that the lower-income student will leave before graduating.” Selectivity and Graduation Rate Source: AchivemenTrap: How America Is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families (Wyner, Bridgeland, Diulio)

30. More selective schools  higher graduation rates Source: AchivemenTrap: How America Is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families (Wyner, Bridgeland, Diulio)

32. College Knowledge: Addressing Information Barriers to College (Vargas)