WashU is committed to making higher education more accessible to students from limited-income backgrounds who will be the first in their families to attend college. 

Since its founding in 2014, WashU’s College Prep Program (CPP) has helped St. Louis-area high school students succeed. CPP is a no-cost, four-year commitment focused on preparing first-generation college students for high school graduation, college admissions, and more during their time in high school. The program offers immersive learning experiences, personal development workshops, Summer Academy, and opportunities to earn college credit. 

CPP Scholars make up a community of eager learners with access to year-round educational programming and a personalized support system, all designed to ensure their success. CPP invests in creating graduates who leave the program ready to excel, both academically and socially, at the colleges or universities which best match their interests and needs. 

While CPP graduates are welcome to apply to and attend college at WashU, it is not a requirement to participate as a CPP Scholar.

CPP is an essential part of why I will get into the college of my dreams. They pushed me to be the best scholar that I can be. The College Prep Program has shaped my future for the better. It prepared me for college in ways I hadn’t thought of before. Compared to the rest of my friends, I am more ready for college than ever. All thanks to CPP!”

— Rayonna Houston, Cohort 7 Scholar, Cardinal Ritter College Prep

“CPP has gotten me to see what a college future will look like. I can see how the classes will feel, how meeting new people will look, and what other great experiences will be available. CPP means a lot. It means my college future, it means an accomplishment, and it means the pathway that will help in my college future.”

— Giovanni Corrales, Cohort 9 Scholar, McKinley Classical Leadership Academy

“I’m grateful for WashU’s College Prep Program. My daughter’s first year was an inspiring experience and it helped to broaden her ideas of college and a career. Thank you Washington University for helping my little girl to grab hold to her dream and all the possibilities that come with it.

— Patrice Fuller, Mother of Cohort 5 Scholar

“CPP has been the resource that has opened so many doors for me. As a low-income and first-generation student, it had been hard to find opportunities as I grew up, but with CPP I have learned that I can do so much with my life. CPP means so much to me because CPP unlocked the doors to my future. They opened doors which I never thought would open, and for this I am truly grateful.

— Ashley Matamoros, Cohort 7 Scholar, Hancock High School

“CPP has been an experience like no other! It’s so much more than just bragging rights or college application materials. This program holds all the ‘secrets’ about college and how to get there successfully. It’s about making like-minded friends and feeling like you are on top of the world.”

— Madison Puckett, Cohort 8 Scholar, Hancock High School

CPP to me means being open-minded to new experiences and accepting a new mindset going into a new part of your life. This program has opened my eyes to different aspects of life and business that I didn’t expect to like as much as I did.”

— Elijah Flenoid, Cohort 9 Scholar, McKinley Classical Leadership Academy