<p>I completely agree with galoisien. Not being aware of the financial issues is a problem in of itself. But I would even argue that this is the tip of the iceberg.</p>
<p>As Obstinate suggests, College Confidential is especially helpful for students from low-income environments. In these environments, parents, other students and possibly even guidance counselors are often unaware of how to apply to universities which are appropriate for high-achieving students. But thanks to the Internet, students in these environments can nonetheless learn about universities and financial aid.</p>
<p>Even so, a student from a low-income environment is likely to have repeatedly been given the message that attending a top university is out of the question. If so, they might not investigate thoroughly enough to learn about the financial aid opportunities which are available to them. So even if this information is readily available, a given student may still fail to find it.</p>
<p>But an even greater problem is the social pressure involved. In environments where few students attend top universities, there may be significant social pressure against even trying to attend a top university. In fact, there may be social pressure against going to college at all. In these environments, a student’s peers are less likely to be doing the things which will help them get into college. They’re likely to be less concerned about grades. They may be less interested in EC’s, less able to participate in them due to a need to work to support the family, or both. As high school students are highly responsive to peer pressure, such a student may follow along with what their peers are doing. Thus, even if the student ultimately chooses to attend university, they may have fewer options than they would have otherwise.</p>
<p>Peer pressure may be overt as well. Speaking from experience, if one goes to college while most of one’s close friends aren’t college-bound, resentment is likely to result.</p>
<p>Also, in low-income environments, prestigious universities are usually believed to be the province of the privileged. As a result, students from these environments may assume that they won’t fit in socially at prestigious universities even if they can earn admittance and somehow pay the bill. They would usually be incorrect, but the perception is what is relevant here. This is another disincentive to even try to go to a top university.</p>
<p>Overcoming these social barriers requires a strong determination to do the right thing for oneself despite a lack of social support for doing so. It’s probably necessary to ignore overt criticism of one’s efforts. Most people don’t have this determination, even if they’re excellent students.</p>