Getting In: Helping First Generation Low-Income Students Get Into College

Getting In: Helping First Generation Low-Income Students Get Into College

By Minds Matter NationalEducation
Download on the App Store

Getting In: Helping First Generation Low-Income Students Get Into College episodes

  • Ep. 1: Pomona College with Jonathan Williams

    Pomona College gets close to 13,000 applications for 415 spots. So what makes someone stand out?

    Minds Matter CEO Erika Halstead sits down with Jonathan Williams, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Pomona College.

    In this episode:

    • What admissions officers look for, and why being authentic matters more than looking impressive
    • A simple habit that makes for a stronger application: keeping a journal starting sophomore year
    • The parts of admissions you can control, and the school priorities you can’t
    • What the end of affirmative action means for students of color, and how to write about your experiences
    • How financial aid works at Pomona: full demonstrated need met with grants and scholarships, no loans
    • Why 29% of Pomona’s newest class is first-generation

    If you’re a first-generation or low-income student, or you support one, this conversation explains how admissions really works.

    Getting In is a podcast from Minds Matter, a national nonprofit that helps high-achieving students from low-income families get to and through college.

    Learn more and get involved: mindsmatter.org

    Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram

    New episodes are coming. Subscribe so you don’t miss one.

    20 min

About Getting In: Helping First Generation Low-Income Students Get Into College

From the publisher's feed

There’s no shortage of college admissions advice. Almost none of it was built for first-generation, low-income students.


Most of it assumes you have a parent who’s been through it,…