Path to College

What Path to College does

Path to College is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 and headquartered in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, that operates a 3-year academic fellowship program for high-performing, underserved high school students in Palm Beach County. The fellowship delivers weekly SAT preparation, one-on-one career-coach mentoring, college application guidance, and scholarship support at no cost to participants, with reported outcomes of 100% of graduates receiving 4-year college offers, 60% admitted to top-tier universities, and 60% achieving full-ride scholarships (others 70-90% coverage). The organization is staffed by 1-10 employees and led by Founder and Executive Director Christine Sylvain, with Christina Romeuls as Director of Programs.

The organization's product surface extends beyond the fellowship to a four-session College Prep Workshop Series, a 10-week High School Internship Program pairing students with local businesses, the Catapult Youth Mentoring Center (broke ground April 2024 to scale capacity), and signature annual events including EDfest, Shine & Dine Gala, Speed Interview Night, and Community Impact Night. Distribution is community-led, relying on school counselor referrals, community outreach, United Way Mentor Center collaboration, and word-of-mouth within Palm Beach County.

The business model is donation-funded. Revenue streams include individual donations (including the BeTheKey monthly giving program and year-end "Light the Path" campaign), tiered corporate sponsorships ($500 Friend through $15,000 Path Pioneer), institutional grants (ECMC Foundation, Johnson Scholarship Foundation), and donor-advised funds / stock / crypto gifts. Programs are entirely free to students and families; there is no SaaS, tuition, or fee component to the model.

Name

Path to College

Legal name

Path to College

Website

https://www.pathtocollege.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Equity / College Access Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAK)

Keywords

• College preparation services
• SAT tutoring programs
• Education equity nonprofit
• Student mentorship programs
• Scholarship application support

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to the organization through one-time gifts, monthly giving programs (BeTheKey monthly giving), and year-end campaigns. Donations fund free test prep, mentorship, guidance, and college/career support for students.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support at various tiers (Path Pioneer Sponsor $15,000, Platinum Path $10,000, Gold Path $7,500, Silver Path $5,000, Bronze Path $2,500, Waymaker $1,500, Friend $500). Sponsors receive recognition at events and visibility within the community.
3. Grants: The organization receives grant funding from foundations and charitable organizations to support operations and programs.
4. Donor-Advised Funds: Donors can give through donor-advised funds, stock/crypto gifts, and other planned giving vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Path to College delivers a free, three-year academic fellowship program for high-achieving, underserved high school students in Palm Beach County, combining weekly SAT tutoring, one-on-one career-coach mentoring, structured college application and financial aid guidance, and leadership development. The fellowship is supported by a four-session College Prep Workshop Series, a 10-week High School Internship Program, the Catapult Youth Mentoring Center facility, and signature annual events including Speed Interview Night, EDfest, Shine & Dine Gala, and Community Impact Night. All services are provided at no cost to students and funded by individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants.

Product overview

Path to College is a non-profit educational organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on its signature 3-Year Academic Fellowship Program, which provides comprehensive college preparation services including free SAT tutoring, one-on-one career coach mentorship, and rigorous college application guidance. The organization supplements its core fellowship with standalone offerings such as a College Prep Workshop Series for students unable to commit to the multi-year program, a High School Internship Program for job shadowing, and facility access through the Catapult Youth Mentoring Center. Signature annual programs include EDfest (student speech competition), Shine & Dine Gala (fundraising event), Speed Interview Night (professional skills development), and Community Impact Night (student proposal competition). Corporate partnerships at tiered sponsorship levels provide additional funding streams. All programs aim to secure full-ride scholarships and admission to top-tier universities for Palm Beach County's high-achieving, underserved students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Catapult Youth Mentoring Center: A new center launched to expand youth mentoring services and serve thousands more Palm Beach County students on their journey after high school.
• Path Pioneer Sponsor
• Platinum Path
• Gold Path
• Silver Path
• Bronze Path
• Waymaker
• Friend

Products and services

• 3-Year Academic Fellowship Program Comprehensive three-year college preparation program for high-achieving, underserved high school students in Palm Beach County, providing SAT tutoring, one-on-one career coach mentoring, college application guidance, and leadership development to help students gain admission to top-tier universities with full scholarships.
• Free SAT Prep Weekly SAT preparation tutoring sessions offered free of charge to fellowship participants and community members, led by expert instructors to improve test scores and college competitiveness.
• Career Coach Mentorship One-on-one mentoring program pairing motivated students with local professionals who provide guidance on college and career pathways, offering ongoing support throughout the three-year fellowship.
• College Prep Workshop Series Four-session workshop series covering the admissions process, college entrance exams, application processes, and financial aid, designed for students unable to commit to the multi-year fellowship.
• Speed Interview Night Annual event where students practice job and scholarship interviews with nearly 100 community volunteers, receiving immediate feedback to build confidence and professional skills.
• EDfest (Education Festival) Annual thought leadership event featuring student speech contests, EDtalks, and an Education Champion Award, providing a platform for students to explore philosophical ideas about society and education.
• Shine & Dine Gala Annual fundraising gala celebrating community generosity and education equity, featuring student stories, live auctions, and entertainment at venues such as the Kravis Center.
• Community Impact Night Competition where student teams present community impact proposals to county leaders and compete for monetary awards to support their educational journeys.
• Catapult Youth Mentoring Center A dedicated center providing additional support and resources for students, designed to help thousands more Palm Beach County students on their post-high school journey.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Corporate partnership opportunities at multiple giving levels (Path Pioneer $15,000, Platinum Path $10,000, Gold Path $7,500, Silver Path $5,000, Bronze Path $2,500, Waymaker $1,500, Friend $500) enabling businesses to support educational equity.
• High School Internship Program A 10-week job shadowing program placing motivated students with local businesses, providing hands-on professional experience while benefiting host companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% of graduates accepted into top-tier universities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NextEra Energy / Florida Power & Light (FPL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Partnership with NextEra Energy (parent company of FPL) and American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) to host a 50-student Youth Energy Academy. Students spend a day at the nuclear energy plant in St. Lucie County learning about careers in energy. Steve Shnider, Sr. Director at FPL, serves on the Path to College board.
• United Way of Palm Beach CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as partner in addressing the 1,050 kids waiting to be matched with mentors in Palm Beach County. Path to College participates in United Way's Mentor Center initiative.
• CareerSource Palm Beach CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for career and internship expo events for Palm Beach County high school students.
• TRiO at Palm Beach State CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for financial aid understanding resources for students navigating college financial processes.
• Mentor CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPath to College participates in the Mentor Center program, a collaborative initiative to connect mentors with youth in Palm Beach County.
• The Tux Shop (Susan Damon)minorOthersLocal business owner provides free custom suit fittings for young men in the fellowship program annually before interview events, giving students confidence for professional settings.
• Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for the Shine & Dine Gala event. The Cohen Pavilion at the Kravis Center hosts the annual fundraising celebration.
• Armory Art CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for EDfest education celebration event in West Palm Beach.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• College Possible: National college access nonprofit providing intensive coaching and SAT prep to low-income students. Directly comparable mission and service model to Path to College, though operates at much larger scale across multiple cities.
• Bottom Line: College access nonprofit offering one-on-one advising to first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds. Comparable target population and outcome-focused mission, with a multi-city footprint.
• College Advising Corps: National nonprofit placing recent college graduates as advisors in underserved high schools to help students navigate college admissions. Comparable college access mission with broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with college-educated mentors for college preparation and application support. Closely matches Path to College's high-touch mentoring and college readiness model.
• uAspire: College affordability and access nonprofit providing advising and financial aid guidance to low-income students. Comparable mission particularly around scholarship and financial aid navigation.
• ScholarMatch: Nonprofit connecting low-income students with donors, mentors, and scholarships to make college affordable. Directly comparable donor-scholar model and target population.
• College Spring: Nonprofit offering SAT prep and college admissions support to low-income and first-generation students. Overlaps directly with Path to College's free SAT prep and fellowship model.

Others

• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Major scholarship funder for high-achieving, low-income students. Comparable target beneficiary population; complementary rather than competitive, as P2C graduates may be Cooke Scholars.
• National College Access Network (NCAN): National membership and advocacy organization supporting college access programs. An umbrella/peer organization for the sector within which Path to College operates.

Emerging players

• Equal Opportunity Schools: Nonprofit focused on closing access gaps for high-achieving students of color in AP/advanced coursework. Comparable equity mission and underserved high-achieving student focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PathToCollegeOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pathtocollege
• Instagraminstagram.com/pathtocollege

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Path to College