College is Real (CIR) provides academic counseling, tutoring, mentoring, motivation, accountability and resources to students at Richmond High School in Richmond, California.
CIR’s staff and mentors focus on improving academic performance, understanding of college opportunities and monitoring the college application process in order the help the mostly Latino student membership become the first in their families to attend and graduate from college.
The goal of the program is to have as many students as possible gain admittance to four-year colleges, attend four-year and two-year colleges, and ultimately graduate from college. CIR wants to change the goals and success outlook of its students so they can ultimately achieve their dreams and change the lives of their families and communities.
Proven Success
Changing the education culture
• 100% CIR students who graduate from high school
• 30% Richmond High dropout rate
• 80 - 95% Four-year college acceptance rate of CIR students
• 10% Four-year college acceptance rate of Richmond High students
• 80 - 100% College attendance rate of CIR students
Colleges Attended:
- University of California: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz
- California State Universities: California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo, California State University, East Bay California State University, Northridge, Chico State University, Sacramento State University, San Francisco State University, San Jose State University and Sonoma State University
- Private Universities: Art Institute of San Francisco, Brown University, Heald College, Holy Name University, Knox College, Saint Mary's College of California, University of San Francisco and Wittenberg University
“A hundred years from now it will not matter what your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car your drove… But the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child.”
- Anonymous
College is Real provides:
- An on-campus program director to monitor the academic performance and arrange tutoring and mentoring.
- A volunteer mentoring program staffed by coaches, teachers, community members and college students.
- College testing preparation courses.
- Assistance with the college application process.
- College student counseling.
- Expansion of CIR to Helms Middle School with an after-school literacy and college awareness program.
- Parent outreach and commitment programs.
- Community service programs.
- Reward and recognition programs based upon individual and group academic performance.
- College scholarships.
