Increasing demographic shifts and policy changes in college admissions and remediation, and a high-stakes testing culture have evoked debates over the best way to promote access to postsecondary institutions. The author con-ducted a 2-year ethnographic study with 25 working-class, 9th- and 10th-grade, Black and Latino/Latina students to examine how they interpret and negotiate college-going processes. Specifically, the author utilized feminist critical theories to analyze City University of New York (CUNY) admissions policies, youth's daily experiences, and college-focused school reform efforts to create more equitable structures for postsecondary access. Based on individual and focus group interviews, observations, and written documentation, the findings suggest three interrelated strategies of negotiation: (a) challenging negative perceptions and expectations of urban youth, (b) “passing” academic coursework, and (c) connecting high school and college testing cultures. These findings have implications for the alignment of K-16 polices and practices and for creating a 9th-10th-grade college-going culture in high schools.
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