From the moment our students join us, they know college is something to be excited about. They build close relationships with our Teaching Fellows – amazing and diverse college students from across the country. During our annual summer College Day, our rising fifth and sixth graders rotate through stations on academics, financial aid, student life, and more, while our rising seventh and eighth graders visit a college campus together. At the end of our 2025 summer program, 95% of students reported wanting to attend college after high school graduation.
During our high school program, Breakthrough students get more in-depth. They attend workshops on all aspects of the college application process. They participate in College Talks, learning about schools not just in the Bay Area, but across the country. Our seniors attend multiple 1:1 conferences with our staff, revise their personal statements, work on the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and talk about the resources that will be available on their college campuses. Our goal is for all our students to attend a best-fit and affordable school, one where they can thrive and graduate with minimal debt.
According to 2020 data from the California Education Lab, just over half of young people in San Francisco of all socioeconomic backgrounds are earning their bachelor’s degree within six years of high school. In contrast, 97% of students in our first eight graduating classes have attended college, including 89% at four-year schools, while 91% have earned their bachelor’s degree or are persisting toward that milestone. This is true even though our students are from backgrounds historically underrepresented on college campuses, including 84% first-generation college students. Their success speaks to their commitment and perseverance, as well as Breakthrough’s critical role in preparing them for higher education.
One of our graduates, Anna, currently works as a digital risk consultant at EY. “From the beginning, Breakthrough became a second family – a place where I felt challenged, supported, and seen,” she says. “Living across the country, I sometimes catch myself thinking, ‘How did I get here?’” she continues. “I start tracing the steps backward. They lead back to a seemingly small moment: when someone walked into my fourth grade classroom and told me about Breakthrough. I truly believe that’s the moment when my story began to take shape and I could never be the same again.”
