Minoritized Black students who are average academic performers have often been overlooked as a targeted group in empirical studies that look at barriers and other limitations for minority students (Rodriguez, 2015; Stewart, 2013). This study seeks to identify the practices that higher education institutions are currently utilizing to recruit underprivileged minoritized girls who are not high performers or athletes, the effectiveness of those practices, and what changes could potentially be made to improve overall access to college for these students. The qualitative ethnographical study was comprised of semi structured interviews of seven high school personnel, which included high school counselors, administrators, and teachers who were current or previously employed with the Camden City School District in New Jersey. The results suggest that Average performing Black female students make college choices based on negative perceptions of higher education and limited outreach efforts by higher education institutions. The research also found that Higher education institutions can help average performing Black female students make better decisions about pursuing higher education by targeting student support systems and expanded opportunities to experience university settings. The study concluded: a) understanding how underrepresented students are motivated to attend college could help increase their access to higher education; b) increased access to higher education for minoritized populations can help break the poverty cycle and enable better access to The American Dream. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]