percent are enrolled in two-year technical or community colleges. ² And the statistics get worse: of the low percentage of Latinos admitted to college, only about 5 to 10 percent graduate with a four-year college degree. Again, in 1999 ETS reported that only 8.9 percent of this population group completed four years of college. Few go on to graduate education for a terminal and/or professional degree (4 to 5%), and only about 2 to 3 percent successfully finish their program of study.

America needs well-educated Latinos; it is predicted that we are going to be the largest population subgroup and work force of tomorrow. By the year 2004, the Census Bureau is estimating that Latinos in the United States will overtake African Americans in number and thus be second only to the white population.

Last, with the recent attack on affirmative action, it is becoming more difficult for Latinos to access a college education. Moreover, state financial support of public colleges and universities is diminishing. The cost of a college education is increasing. More people are applying to college because the total population is growing, and they see that a college education is critical for getting a good job. To make matters worse for Latinos and other persons of color, there is a growing change of attitude—a negative point of view, anti–affirmative action, anti–civil rights—that puts the burden on Latinos to work twice as hard to be considered good enough or equal to Anglos. This may not seem fair, but it has been our situation for many generations. Yet the current generation of Latinos believes that our youth are up to the challenge and will be successful. This book is written to help you succeed.

The information in this book is provided to assist Latinos who are thinking about going to college. It will help you prepare, apply, find financial support, study and pass the courses, and participate in extracurricular activities in order to graduate from college. The book is divided into four parts and is organized by steps. The information provided is current and highly useful. This is due primarily to the expertise and experience of all the contributing writers.

Part I: Preparing for College discusses the first three steps you need to think about and do in order to get admitted to college. Step 1 identifies ten new ways of thinking about college; these will get you psychologically ready to succeed in college. Step 1 also tells you about getting ready for the SAT or ACT exams. Step 2 provides helpful forms to fill out, tips to use, and a sample letter to write in your efforts to select a college. Step 3 gives information about how to qualify for certain types of financial aid, the application process, where you can get financial aid, and the different types of financial assistance. It also lists Web addresses and toll-free telephone numbers.

Part II: On Campus has five steps that focus on how to be a good student and successfully meet the requirements of your program of study and, thus,

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