This study examined how undergraduate students from historically underrepresented populations who participated in the research site's precollegiate access program prior to their first semester at a small, private women's university made sense of their success in college. Transcripts were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Examination of four themes in the context of the research question generated four discrete findings: perseverance and grit override certain pre-entry attributes; key institutional experiences impact student success; confidence and self-efficacy play a dominant role in a student's understanding of their own success; and engagement in precollegiate access programs set a solid foundation for a student's ultimate persistence at the institution. These findings were considered among extant literature on student persistence and retention as well as on the efficacy of precollegiate access programs. The study findings were situated in the theoretical framework, Tinto's Theory of Student Departure, and suggest that to be successful, students must have adequate precollege preparation or have previously developed skills related to perseverance and grit to overcome early obstacles to college success. During their college experiences, students must have opportunities to develop significant relationships with faculty and support staff on campus and engage in certain out-of-classroom experiences (social and experiential learning) to experience the significant personal growth cited as a success factor here. The opportunity to engage in a bridge, or precollegiate access program, allows at-risk and underrepresented students to establish a solid foundation for success and enables meaningful access to a college education. [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.]