College Readiness Program
Program Overview
For many first-generation and multilingual students, the path to college is filled with obstacles that have nothing to do with talent or drive. Language barriers, financial uncertainty, and the absence of a roadmap make each step harder than it needs to be.
Give Chances has walked alongside students and their families at every stage of that journey, from planting the seeds of ambition in middle school to navigating college applications, financial aid, and the critical first year on campus. Through structured mentoring, culturally responsive workshops, and direct barrier-removal support, we help students turn college from a distant dream into a concrete, achievable goal. No student should lose their path simply because they didn't have the right guidance at the right moment, and we're here to make sure they don't.
Junior Chance Makers (Grades 6–8)
The college journey doesn't start with a senior year application — it starts with a middle schooler who begins to believe that college is possible for them. Junior Chance Makers is the middle school track of our Chance Makers Youth Leadership Council, designed to introduce students early to the habits, mindsets, and skills that lead to long-term academic success. Members meet biweekly to engage in leadership training, community advocacy projects, and high school readiness workshops that build confidence and critical thinking alongside their peers. Through mentorship from high school and college-age Chance Makers alumni, students develop a clear sense of direction — and the self-belief to pursue it. By the time they reach high school, Junior Chance Makers graduates enter with stronger academic foundations, deeper community ties, and a genuine understanding of what it takes to get to college.
Quick Facts
- Biweekly meetings · school year
- Peer mentorship from high school & college Chance Makers
- High school readiness workshops & college exposure activities
Chance Makers College Readiness (Ages 16–25)
Students most often leave the college track not because they give up, but because the system fails them at the moments that matter most. Structured around four high-impact milestones, the program pairs each student with a near-peer mentor and provides workshops, family navigation services, and direct financial assistance at every critical transition point, from senior-year applications through first-year persistence.
4 Milestones
① College Application — SAT preparation, college application workshops, family engagement sessions, and guidance through every step of the senior year
② Acceptance → Enrollment — FAFSA completion, scholarship applications, enrollment deposit support, and bilingual navigation for immigrant families
③ First-Year Persistence — regular academic and wellness check-ins, campus resource connections, and continued peer mentoring through the first college year
④ Career Launch — STEM and coding training, career exploration workshops, internship connections, and a growing alumni mentor network
Quick Facts
- Year-round: Biweekly after-school sessions + summer intensives
- Multilingual support: Korean, Spanish, and English
- Near-peer mentorship: Alumni mentor college students, college students mentor high schoolers