Free one-on-one college counseling and a pathway to game-changing college support.
Destined for College is ScholarMatch's free college access program for high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area who will be the first in their families to attend college.
Through our virtual program, students work with college coaches via phone, text message, email, and video calls once a month during their senior year of high school to work on the following:
Explore our program eligibility requirements, timeline, and expectations. Once you've reviewed and met all criteria, you can submit your application using the link below.
Applications are now closed. Please check back in February of 2025 for more updates.
We carefully review applications to our program and consider personal circumstances for students who do not meet all of our eligibility criteria.
* = First-generation college students is defined as students who grew up in households without a parent or guardian who had completed a four-year college degree.
Application Launch
February 1
Priority Coach
Matching Deadline
March 31
Final Deadline
September 15
Priority Onboarding
April - July
Onboarding
August - September
We recommend submitting our application prior to our final deadline as spaces fill up quickly.
Since our program is fully virtual, we expect our students to communicate and meet their coaches at least once a month or as needed once they are admitted into our program.
Students are matched with a college coach and work together virtually throughout the year. Communication happens via phone, email, and text as they navigate the college application process together.
Destined for College program offerings include:
We provide a step-by-step guide for students to prepare for college. These milestones provide a comprehensive guide for students to navigate the college preparation process, covering topics ranging from college exploration to application to decision-making and beyond.
Go to College-Ready MilestonesIn the spring of their senior year, Destined for College participants who complete their milestones can apply to our Scholars Program, ScholarMatch’s college persistence program, to continue receiving college advising support.
Students who are accepted to continue with ScholarMatch will receive robust advising, financial support, and career mentoring all the way to college graduation.
Did you find us through the Big Future program by College Board? Check out our Big Future/Destination College application here.
Everything you need to know about Destined for College and ScholarMatch.
Still have a questions in mind? Contact us directly!
Contact usStudents are required to submit an application to our program and meet our eligibility requirements to be considered. Program acceptance isn’t guaranteed. After applications are reviewed, students watch a short video of our program and submit Milestone 1”. Once students complete Milestone 1, they can be matched with a coach.
We serve first-generation students from low-income backgrounds who are located in the US and in their junior or senior year of high school. For students who are interested in our program and don’t meet the full eligibility criteria, we will consider admitting them based on program capacity.
We conduct outreach and information sessions at high schools and local community-based organizations with a need for our services. Many of our students hear from us via word of mouth, a teacher, or alumni of our program. We also partner with select community-based organizations and high schools to provide services to their students.
Our students meet with their coaches an average of 15 times during the program year. The busiest times are summer and fall, during which time we anticipate students and coaches meeting several times a month. During the winter and spring of the senior year, students typically meet with their coaches around 3-5 times per season.
We recommend that students apply to colleges that are a financial, academic, and personal fit, so it varies based on students’ needs and preferences. Some students apply to more highly selective institutions, while others apply to regional schools because they want to stay closer to home.
Yes! Our coaches can still advise you and guide you through many other aspects of the college application process, including building your college lists to ensure you have a good mix of schools, so come decision time, you have many options to consider. In addition, you will also receive support on financial aid applications, personal statements, college offers, and more.
You are more than welcome to apply to our program, however, we find that students who are not receiving support from multiple organizations benefit the most from the one-on-one support that ScholarMatch provides.
We match students and coaches based on students’ application information and matching preferences, such as timezone, hobbies, college majors, and desired industry. We approach matching holistically by considering many factors; our goal is to pair students with coaches who will be a good fit. Students and coaches then go on to work together for the entire academic year.