"Urban High School Students and the Challenge of Access" documents a year in the life of five adolescents preparing for college. The text examines the different pathways that brought these students to where they are: living in poverty, attending overcrowded schools, and the pressure to be the first in their families to attend college are just a few of the challenges these students must battle en route to college, and that impact their chances of success once there. Their stories provide insight for practitioners and policy makers working to improve college access at urban high schools.