College Summit started in 1993, with four students at a teen center in the basement of a low-income housing project in Washington, D.C. The Center's Director, J.B. Schramm, had worked as an Academic Advisor at Harvard while in graduate school, and had seen that Admissions Officers were hungry for low-income talent. But every year at the Teen Center, he saw dozens of such kids ready for college and not going. He was reminded of his own inner-city high school in Denver where – except for the very few with top grades and scores – low-income students didn’t go to college. The students with mid-tier credentials, many of whom could have done well at college, lacked the “know-how” and support senior year that the students whose parents had gone to college enjoyed.

Tired of seeing students "graduate" from his teen center to the street, Schramm became determined to help admissions offices see students the way he saw them. He enlisted the best writing instructor he’d seen in graduate school, and the finest urban youth worker he knew. Together they designed a system to help bright, low-income students who, with the right support during the post-secondary transition, could propel their lives (and communities) in a positive direction.

The College Summit Approach

Over the past decade, College Summit has worked in partnership with schools, school districts and colleges to develop a sustainable model for raising college enrollment rates community-wide. Find Out More about College Summit's approach to raising college enrollment rates community-wide. More

Leadership and National Staff

College Summit's success and strength are driven by our energetic, hard-working and ambitious staff. Visit this area of our Web site for biographical information on our leadership and national staff. More

News and Events

Stay up-to-date with College Summit by exploring our latest news, events and highlights. More

Awards and Recognition

College Summit has consistently been recognized for notable achievement and ambition, especially in the fields of social entrepreneurship and college access. For more information on our national awards and recognition, visit this section of our Web site. More

Public Affairs