THE NEED:

First-generation college students (neither parent having finished a four-year degree) are far less likely to gain admission to college than their college-legacy peers who have at least one parent with a degree. Demographically from lower-income families, these “first-gen” students face the obvious affordability headwind of what it costs to attend college for four years. But perhaps less obvious is the role affordability plays in the process colleges use to select which applicants they will admit:

In a crowded field where colleges have far more qualified applicants than open admission spots, the application packet itself carries disproportional weight in the college’s ranking of otherwise comparable candidates. A professional-looking application packet that highlights the student’s best attributes and accomplishments can portray a student as more “college ready” than an alternative applicant whose credentials are not as well articulated.

To gain an edge in this highly competitive selection process, prospective college students are increasingly attending COLLEGE ADMISSION WORSHOPS during the summer preceding their senior year. In these workshops, students can polish their application packets and personal statement essays under the guidance of professional college admissions counselors who can help them present the most compelling portraits of themselves as candidates for admission - a distinct advantage for students from families who can afford these private-pay services.