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First-Generation Students and Campus Diversity

Under-Represented Minorities and First Generation Students In college admissions lingo, under-represented minorities (URM) are groups of students that might not be present in numbers that are representative of their share of the population. For example, if Hispanics account for 30% of the local population, but represent only 8% of the students at the school, they would be considered a URM at that school. Since females are 50% of the population, but might be 20% of the students at an engineering college, they would be a URM there. The point is that URMs differ by school, and that particular school's diversity goals. Many educators believe that diversity enriches the student experience, which is why colleges recruit URMs.

You might be called "first gen" if neither of your parents graduated from college. This is another target group for colleges and isn't about race, gender or ethnicity. Many colleges specifically recruit first gen students and have extra support services in place to help them succeed.
  • Lot's of colleges say they are diverse, but what does that mean? Use College Insight to find out the statistics 
  • Check out these fabulous student resources from the Center for Student Opportunity 
  • First in the Family provides videos, checklists and advice for students who are the first in their family to go to college 
  • LULAC National Education Service Centers provides educational services to Latino students (They have great scholarships too!) 
  • If you're thinking about  Historically Black Colleges & Universities, get information here 
  • College Horizons is a non-profit organization that supports the higher education of Native American students by providing college admissions workshops to American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students/participants from across the nation 
  • College Summit offers free, four-day summer workshops at locations around the country to help under-represented minority and first gen students apply to college 

Oregon Programs for First Gen and Under-Represented Students
  • College Access provides a directory of programs in Oregon 
  • Minds Matter is an academic mentoring program that guides accomplished high school students from low-income families to college success. Apply for this program in spring of freshman year  
  • ASPIRE is a mentoring program that helps middle school and high school students access education and training beyond high school. Join this program if it is available at your school  
  • Oregon GEAR UP is a school-based program with the motto, "College. It's not a dream, it's a plan." Join this program if it is available at your school  
  • Upward Bound and the Educational Talent Search are programs that serve low-income, first gen high school students. They are funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Consider joining through Portland State University or Portland Community College 
  • Camp Odyssey: 60 youths, aged 14-18, selected from as varied socioeconomic backgrounds as possible, attend a free, week-long summer camp and participate in trust-building and experiential activities, and structured intercultural dialogue. After the initial residential camp, the year round support component assists Odyssey youth in bringing what they have learned back to their communities

Prior to high school, younger students who have an opportunity to participate in any of the following programs should take advantage of the chance:
Comprehensive college counseling  
Westside: Jodi Walder-Biesanz,  jodi.walder@comcast.net, (503) 720-7114,  
Eastside: Emily Standish, emilystandish@comcast.net, (503) 267-4605, 
Portland Metro: Debra Sankovitz, debra.sankovitz@gmail.com, (503) 901-0059,
Global: Rachel Coleman, rachelc1@alumni.stanford.edu
​​Eastside: Abby McKinnon, abby@portlandchildfamilycounseling.com , (503) 317-8761
College Admission Coach, LLC makes no representations, warranties or guarantees about admission to any school. 
Content copyright 2009-2017. College Admission Coach, LLC. All rights reserved.
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