Get the Support You Need

This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org.

Find a Mentor

A huge part of creating this support network is the act of finding a mentor. Mentors are adults who can guide you with wisdom and understanding. You could have one or many mentors.

To find one, look at the activities you do in school, through a religious organization, within your community, through an internship, on a sports team, etc. Is there an adult in one of these organizations—a coach, a teacher, a student adviser, a priest or imam, or a community member—with whom you feel connected? Someone you feel you could talk to in a pinch and count on receiving good advice? Someone whose academic or professional paths you admire?

Seek out this person, and let her know that you are interested in going to college; ask if it would be possible for you to ask her questions from time to time, or to go to her for help with certain tasks. For the most part, people are honored to be asked for help and will be eager to assist an ambitious young person whenever possible.“Mentors are adults who can guide you with wisdom and understanding.”

Work With Your Mentor

It’s important to keep in mind what a mentor can and cannot do for you. For instance, a mentor cannot give you the answers to your homework, give you money (unless you have a job working for this person), or write your college essays for you.

Though a mentor can help you study for tests, apply for scholarships, and edit your essays, ultimately your work—and this process as a whole—must be your own. Your mentor’s job is to help you make yourself the best young adult you can be.

Get School Support

You also should seek help from the guidance counselor at your school. In most high schools, you will be assigned a counselor who will help you through the process of accumulating credits and applying to colleges. Make sure your counselor knows who you are! Go in to ask questions, do not skip meetings, and keep your counselor aware of your plans so that he can help with each step.

If you find that your guidance counselor is unhelpful or discouraging, find out if there is another counselor to whom you can speak, or talk to a trusted teacher or another faculty member and explain your concerns. School staff and community members are eager to support you; they’re just waiting for you to ask.

Find a College Access Program

You also can seek out support from various national and local college access organizations and programs. These organizations provide services such as college admissions advise, financial aid advice (helping you apply for the FAFSA or for scholarships), mentoring, internships, and even support once you are in college. There may be a reputable college access program in your town.

To locate a college access program near you, browse our list of national, regional and state programs below. It’s not a complete list, but it will point you in the right direction.

National Support Programs

Ask your school guidance counselor if your school participates in any college access programs, like a TRIO program (Upward Bound, Talent Search, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program), GEAR UP, National College Advising Corp, College Summit or Project GRAD.

Call the Council for Opportunity in Education at (202) 347-7430 for help locating a TRIO program in your area.

The College Place http://www.ecmcfoundation.org/overview/College_Place.html

The MoveED Directory http://www.moveed.org/
Brand new & improved! A searchable and dynamic online database of college access programs serving students around the country.

Communities in Schools http://www.communitiesinschools.org/about/where/
Select your state to find a program near you.

College For Every Student http://www.collegefes.org/

QuestBridge http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/students-start-here

The Posse Foundation http://www.possefoundation.org/
Sites in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York and Washington, D.C.

Net Literacy http://www.NetLiteracy.org/