College Access Opportunities for Access

Opportunities for Access serve pre-college students.  This area includes partnerships with local schools and organizations that take place both on-and off-campus.

Local College Access Programs

Opportunities Abound

Each year, more than 500 potential first-generation students and community members come to Macalester for a campus visit through Opportunities Abound. Each visit is tailored to the specific needs and unique characteristics of the group visiting campus.

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)

AVID targets students in the academic middle who have the intention of going to college and the willingness to work hard. Volunteers apply to a specific high school in St. Paul or Minneapolis to work as tutors with a small group of students. Their teaching methodology is based on the Socratic Method, where tutors emphasize students’ inquiries rather than lectures.

Breakthrough Collaborative

Breakthrough Saint Paul is a program that helps highly motivated, under-resourced middle school students from St. Paul Public Schools succeed in rigorous honors coursework and get to college. Breakthrough Saint Paul employs a “Students Teaching Students” model of education common to all 29 programs in Breakthrough Collaborative. For six weeks during the summer and on 13 Saturdays during the school year, students take challenging enrichment classes designed and taught by talented and diverse high school and college students.

Get Ready!

Get Ready! is an early intervention and college awareness program that prepares students from low-income families to get to college. The program supports elementary, middle and high school students for post-secondary education by providing college planning information, academic tutoring and higher education options. Volunteers can work as career speakers, where they share their career path and experiences to inspire fourth to eight graders about their own career options.

Minnesota Minority Education Partnership

The Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Inc. is a nonprofit that seeks to increase the success of Minnesota students of color in Minnesota schools, colleges and universities. They work closely with students, communities of color and representatives from education, business, government and nonprofits to develop programs that help students of color succeed academically.

Multicultural Excellence Program (MN)

The mission of the Multicultural Excellence Program (MEP) is to provide guidance and support to promote the academic success of students culminating in the acquisition of a college degree.

National College Access Programs

Summer Search (CA)

Summer Search is a high-impact program that gives low-income students the opportunities and support they need to transform their lives, achieve their own potential, and create change as role models and everyday leaders.

One Voice (CA)

Our Scholars Program prepares and places low income inner city Los Angeles high school students in wonderful colleges throughout the United States such as Amherst, Brown, MIT, Wellesley, Yale, Swarthmore and Stanford. 100% of One Voice scholars gain admission to college and an impressive 95% graduate from college with 30% going on to graduate school.

College Horizons

College Horizons is a pre-college program for Native American high school students open to sophomores and juniors.  Each summer students work with college admissions officers, college counselors, essay specialists, and other educators in a five-day “crash course” on the college application process.

Bright Prospect (CA)

Our Scholar Support Program helps high-achieving, low-income high school students from 13 high schools gain admission and comprehensive financial aid at the nation’s premier private liberal arts colleges and universities.

National Hispanic Institute

The Collegiate World Series is designed for students who not only wish to make informed choices about college, but who are ready to evaluate, analyze, and make conscious decisions about their life direction.  This program builds success behaviors for students to excel in the college admission process and in college life, both academically and socially, while engaging students to reflect on the cultural, moral, social, and personal values that inform their identity and life goals.

Schuler Foundation (IL)

The Schuler Scholar Program, through enrichment and academic programs, guidance, and scholarships, prepares high potential students to succeed at selective colleges.  We believe that if high potential but vulnerable students have access to academic and enrichment programs while in high school, are well informed of college options, receive support from family, friends, teachers and mentors, are motivated, and secure financial assistance, they will be successful in obtaining a college degree.

Rainier Scholars (WA)

All students deserve the chance to go as far as their hard work and talent will take them. We open doors to education for promising students of color, providing a pathway to college graduation and creating future community leaders.

Prep for Prep (NY)

Prep for Prep develops leaders through access to superior education and life-changing opportunities. Since 1978, Prep has identified New York City’s most promising students of color and prepared them for placement at independent schools in the city and boarding schools throughout the Northeast. Once placed, Prep offers support and opportunities to ensure the academic accomplishment and personal growth of each one of our students.

HighSight (IL)

HighSight’s mission is to provide academic and social support to Chicago high school students. HighSight provides scholarships, tutoring, mentoring, leadership development and college readiness programs to enable its students to attend and succeed at the private high school of their choice.