First Gen Scholars is the GPS of college success for first-generation students who are among the first in their families to attend a four-year university. The program offers a comprehensive college and career prep program to address the economic, social, and institutional barriers first-generation students face regarding college applications. Through this process, scholars feel confident in sharing their authentic selves on paper and develop tools to deal with the "impostor syndrome" they may face.
In three years, First Gen Scholars has helped over 300 San Diego students from 21 different high schools get into colleges such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Dartmouth, and USC, all on full rides. In addition, our 96% acceptance rate for the UCS is among the highest in the college admissions world, and for the Class of 2022, we have 7 attending Cal, 12 at UCLA, and 53 at UCSD. Currently, we are serving over 200 students from over 30 high schools throughout San Diego County.
First Gen Scholars stands out because we emphasize the importance of our Scholars graduating with zero debt. Scholars have received over $10 million in scholarships, including 15 Questbdrige Scholars, 4 Gates Scholars, 4 Jack Kent Cooke Scholars, and over 31 Dell Scholars. We are proud to say that 8 out of every 10 of our Scholars are on track to graduate with no debt.
Our nonprofit is operated by one full-time employee and three amazing part-time employees. We do more with our little budget than organizations with millions do, and we do it with the intent to help make sure our Scholars not only get into college but graduate as well.
We can help get these phenomenal students to college with excellent financial aid, but we need your help. Your financial gift is not a donation; it's an investment in our Scholars, one that reaps immediate rewards.
Whether your donation is $5 or $5,000, know that you are making a difference for a First Gen Scholar.