That brings the tally through the program's eight years of existence to 1,741 participants. Almost all of them were admitted to college. Once there, they persisted toward a degree and graduated in nearly identical percentages to their more affluent peers.

Admission Possible isn't cheap, which is why it isn't larger. Funded with private contributions and an AmeriCorps grant, it serves kids often considered "at risk," 95 percent of them students of color, all with family incomes averaging less than $25,000 a year. The program offers after-school classes, four hours per week, to counsel students about college, prepare them for college entrance exams and guide them through the college and financial aid application process.

The cost: about $1,500 per student. Compared with the long-term cost of unfulfilled human potential, however, that's a bargain. Admission Possible ought to grow.