The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine African American college students' perspectives on the factors that promoted and inhibited their college readiness. This study also examined African American college students' perceptions of how their high school counselors, teachers, and administrators influenced their college readiness. This is a significant issue to research as the research shows that students enter college every year not academically prepared for the rigor of postsecondary education (Conley, 2008). Two research questions guided this study: "What do African American college students perceive as the factors that promoted their college readiness?" and "What do African American college students perceive as factors inhibiting their college readiness?" This phenomenological dissertation delved into the lives of 10 African American college students who attended PWIs and HBCUs. These participants were recruited using the LinkedIn platform using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Zoom interviews were conducted about their high school and college academic experiences and the success and challenges they faced as college students. The framework for this study was based on Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural and social learning theories. These theories suggest that social behavior is learned by observing and imitating other's behaviors. He believes that an individual's development depends on their interaction with people and how they view the world (Daneshfar & Moharami, 2018). Conclusions included findings that implied from participants that students were more prepared and college-ready when they met with their school counselors on a regular basis and were exposed to college information early in their high school career. Recommendations for practice involved having other organizations partner with schools to provide workshops on SAT, ACT, financial aid, courses needed to be successful in college, and overall college readiness. These organizations would include local community organizations such as your local NAACP, churches, sororities, and fraternities. The results also suggest the importance of having a checklist created for students to use throughout high school to ensure they are prepared and college-ready. [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.]