Matriculate is a program for high-achieving students that come from low-income families. It provides a college student that is currently enrolled in one of the top colleges in the nation to serve as a personal advisor at no cost. These advisors assist juniors in high school with the college application process.

The overall goal of Matriculate is to eventually help students from all backgrounds and financial statuses in order to attend the best college or university possible. As of now, the priority is to make sure students with low-income families are able to go to the college of their choice with confidence. This free program replaces the college prep classes, tutors and specialized classes in which many students are unable to afford.

Over half of students that come from low-income households don’t apply for colleges or universities that match their academic abilities. Not all students have family members that went through secondary school or went through the application process. For those students who have no experience, Matriculate can largely impact their college admittance.

These advisors are college students from some of the top rated schools that have successfully completed the college application process. These advisors must apply for the position and then evaluated to see if they are a good fit for the role before the are selected.

The use of college students provides assurance to those high schoolers participating in the program that they are both familiar and successful with the college application process.

High school juniors can communicate with their personal advisor through text, email, phone calls, or video chats. They can communicate with advisors whenever they are available to receive help on anything related to the college application process.

PV graduate, Elle Fietsam commented on how beneficial she thinks Matriculate is for students that are in the same situation she was. “I know personally how beneficial it would have been to have someone knowledgeable about the process to guide me through the myriad applications that the process entails.”

Fietsam also stated that Matriculate can present many opportunities to students despite their financial situation. By utilizing this program, high-achieving, low-income students will be able to attend top-ranked colleges and universities as well as gain access to financial aid and scholarships.