How Our East Coast College Tour Changes Lives

Fewer than 50 percent of low‑income families have ever visited a college campus in person. For high‑income families, that number jumps to over 90 percent. This gap matters, because research shows that students who visit a campus are significantly more likely to enroll, with many colleges reporting a boost of 30 to 50 percent in matriculation after a visit.

Last week, a group of A Bridge for Kids students beat those odds and in the process, began to see themselves and their future in a whole new light. They traveled across the country with ABFK board member Chief Hernandez for our 11th Annual East Coast College Tour. The trip included visits to Harvard, MIT, Brown, Yale, NYU, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. For some, it was their first time leaving California; for many, it was even their first time on a plane. And the experience didn’t just show them what was possible, it made them believe they belonged there.

In California, fewer than 14 percent of low‑income youth earn a bachelor’s degree by age 28. One major reason is a lack of exposure to selective schools and the opportunities they provide. Well‑qualified students from low‑income backgrounds often “undermatch” by attending less selective schools or none at all simply because they have never seen what is possible. This trip was designed to change that.

The impact was immediate. Shanzeh described the thrill of the MIT scavenger hunt, meeting students and professors, and being surprised by Harvard’s strong sense of community. Michelle Antonio spoke about forming deep friendships with her fellow travelers and discovering schools she had never considered before. “After touring all the schools, I’m looking forward to college more than ever,” she said.

For Kary, the trip shifted her entire perspective. “I never really viewed Brown as an option for me, but now I’m 100 percent applying there.” Daniel left with a clearer sense of what type of campus environment suits him best, while Alonzo said visiting Harvard made it his top choice. “If I could pick any school, it would be Harvard.”

After a week, the students returned to San Diego with a deeper understanding of what elite colleges expect from applicants, a clearer vision for their futures, and the confidence to pursue schools they once thought were out of reach. They also came home with something equally valuable: a support network of peers who now see themselves and each other as capable of thriving in these environments.

College tours like this are not a luxury for the students we serve. They are an essential tool in closing the opportunity gap. By eliminating the financial and geographic barriers that so often limit access, A Bridge for Kids helps students step onto campuses they may one day call home. As research and our own students’ reflections prove, seeing truly is believing.

College tours like this are not a luxury for the students we serve, they are essential to closing the opportunity gap. Without your support, life-changing experiences like these may not be possible in the future. Your generosity helps students walk the halls of highly selective universities, stand in the quads of world-class campuses, and see themselves thriving there. 

Partner with us as an individual or as a corporate sponsor to give next year’s students the same chance to see, and believe in, their future.