College Bound

To and Through College

The road to and through college is cluttered with obstacles – especially for students from under-resourced and overburdened communities. College Bound offers the support and guidance necessary to help first-generation students from low-income backgrounds get TO and THROUGH college. 

College Bound was founded in 2006 by Lisa Orden Zarin, the daughter of a single mom and school teacher who taught and lived in Newark, New Jersey who emphasized the importance of education. The message stuck.

Many years later when Lisa’s own son was applying to college, she experienced the college admissions process through the eyes of her child who had every privilege available to him. The process was complex and many people helped. She wondered, “What are children doing today who come from neighborhoods where I grew up?”She discovered the answer and it was sobering. Less than ten percent of students from low-income communities were completing their college degrees. When she compared that to 75 percent of high-income students who were graduating from college, the gap seemed impossible to bridge. Lisa spent years creating an organization – College Bound – to combat this problem. Achieving ResultsWhat started with two high schools and 36 students in 2006 has grown to serving over 40 high schools in the region and more than 470 students who benefit from individualized coaching every year. Our students are graduating college at a rate nearly 500% higher than their demographics would predict. It is our duty to our students and their families to continue to innovate and achieve better results.