Strive for College was founded in 2007 by Michael J. Carter, then a student at Washington University in St. Louis, to help acutely under-served area high school students apply to college and navigate financial aid.

College students volunteered as in-person mentors for high school students, and mentored students achieved substantially better college go-on rates than their non-mentored peers. Strive for College grew to become a respected college access organization, providing in-person mentoring across the country.