The Common Core State Standards were designed to prepare all students for college and careers. Using theories of cultural capital and culturally relevant pedagogy, this study of 54 college-bound, inner-city high school seniors seeks to determine how students perceive their college readiness during the implementation of the new standards. While the Common Core promotes the development of higher-order thinking skills and cultural competence, students reported that their schools struggled to meet both of these goals. The findings call into question the capacity of the Common Core to prepare all students for college due to challenges of implementation.