The increasing importance of a college degree has led policymakers and educators to focus on strengthening the path to college beyond college entry. In this research brief the authors review four factors key to educational attainment: (1) aspirations and beliefs, (2) academic preparation, (3) knowledge and information, and (4) fortitude and resilience. This brief also highlights the ways in which these are reflected in practice and discusses steps that schools might consider given their role in developing students' skills and dispositions for successfully navigating the pathways to and through college.