Access to higher education for minority students, involvement of the student at college, and achieving excellence are discussed. While lack of preparation limits access, avenues are potentially available to enable dropouts to gain credentials to enter college. In addition to student expectations, poverty can limit access because of not having capital or knowledge of options. Once in college, active involvement in goal setting, attending classes, talking to professors, and involvement in student activities are among the factors that produce students who achieve excellence in higher education. Recommendations to promote access, involvement, and excellence include: individual parent and student counseling at the high school that emphasizes options and benefits of college and means of financing a college education; recruitment of high school minority students by minority adults; dispersing grants in weekly installments to freshmen, biweekly installments to sophomores, monthly installments to juniors, and semester installments to seniors; systematic, personal contact between student and professors/counselors; nonclassroom interactions between faculty and students; allowing freshmen to have a small class where interaction is high; and making provision for students to systematically meet with advisers. (SW)