Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do

This guide reviews research literature on college access and makes five recommendations for how high schools and school districts can help students navigate their way to college. The first two are to help prepare students academically for college by offering a college preparatory curriculum and by assessing whether students are building the knowledge and skills needed for college. The third is for high schools to build and sustain college aspirations by surrounding students with adults and peers who support these aspirations. The fourth and fifth are for high schools to assist students in completing the necessary steps to college entry, by college entrance exams and college and financial aid applications.