This digest describes the essential components of college preparation programs for urban and minority youth. The digest suggests that such programs must attend to the cultural norms of the community and their own political contexts in order to increase students' access to, enrollment in, and graduation from college. College preparation programs must begin for students as early as possible, focus on readiness rather than remediation, and provide multiple services over an extended period of time. The technical components of precollege programs cover the structures, strategies, and knowledge necessary to prepare students for admission, enrollment, and graduation from college. College preparation must be more than a series of well-orchestrated mechanical and sequential services. It is an inherently complex and value-laden process. Attention must be paid to the inextricably intertwined technical, cultural, and political components to create not only well-intentioned but well-planned and implemented programs that can change the landscape of postsecondary attainment for minority youth from low-income neighborhoods. (SLD)