First-generation college students (FGCS) experience a myriad of unique challenges when starting their university education, including perceiving themselves as being socially isolated on campus (Markowitz, 2016; Nazione et al., 2011; Wilkins, 2014), experiencing guilt as they leave behind academically family and friends (Banks-Santilli, 2015; Orbe, 2004), and having external obligations and/or cultural expectations that limit their full integration into the institution (Wilbur & Roscigno, 2016). In response to these challenges, and to aid FGCS' academic transition from high school or community college to universities, these institutions have created summer bridge programs (SBPs) that engage students in courses, workshops, and other activities to learn about the values, attitudes, and norms of, and the skills and behaviors needed to be successful in, the "college culture." In line with an organizational perspective of socialization, SBPs facilitate FGCS' "anticipatory socialization" (see, e.g., Kramer, 2010), the process of preparing people to become successful members of the groups, organizations, and institutions they are joining. The purpose of this study was to examine communicative practices that staff members of two SBPs employed to socialize participating FGCS about college. To investigate that process, this applied communication study was guided by two theoretical perspectives. Co-cultural theory and social identity theory served to highlight and make sense of the communication and socialization processes that take place in these programs, as these socialization processes, inherently, are co-cultural, and these programs promote a development of a social identity among their student cohorts. The findings showed that SBPs communicated about FGCS' co-cultural status by making explicit four types of challenges that they had or would experience throughout their educational journeys: historical, economic, familial, and perceptions of belonging. FGCS' challenges were expressed through a discursive framing that drew on the assumptions of co-cultural theorizing. SBPs' staff members encouraged students to feel empowered and seek out support on campus, and, simultaneously, emphasized the use of certain co-cultural communication orientations as they navigated the institution. SBP staff members' communication also helped FGCS to develop a social identity as members of an ingroup with peers in the program. This process occurred as program stakeholders made clear in their communication to students the psychological processes that framed students as belonging to an "ingroup" with other peers in the program, and positioned those who did not share in students' FG experience as "outgroup" members. FGCS expressed an internalization of the "ingroup" identity by communicating the emotional significance of the relationships they formed with others during the program and engaging in "social creativity" as an identity management strategy to redefine membership in the "ingroup" as being desirable and providing advantages in comparison to "outgroup" members. Recommendations for college and university practitioners working with SBPs are provided along with suggestions for future research. [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.]