This publication compares first-generation students (i.e., those whose parents have no more than a high school education) with their peers whose parents attended college. It focuses on mathematics course taking—the effectiveness of taking algebra in 8th grade and advanced math courses in high school in getting to college—and planning strategies students used to prepare for college. The report also examines the involvement of students' parents, teachers, and other “institutional agents” capable of helping them prepare for college.