College of Liberal Arts
University of Minnesota
Twin Cities Campus
101 Pleasant St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Access to Success
The Access to Success (ATS) program is a one-year program for selected freshmen who enroll in the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences; or the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
ATS is a support program devoted to enriching students’ academic experiences and equipping students to excel. The mission of the ATS program is to help ensure the academic success of its participants. Research shows that students who have a positive first-year experience are more likely to stay in college, be successful, and graduate.
The ATS program in CLA serves students who have demonstrated strong potential to succeed, but whose high school records may not match the typical profile of students admitted to the college. CLA ATS program participants benefit from a variety of programs during their freshman year specifically designed to strengthen academic skills and to promote academic achievement. For example:
- Learning communities where students get connected with other students who have similar academic interests
- One-on-one, frequent advising with professional academic advisers
- Classes that introduce students to liberal arts learning and that help students to build their academic skill sets
- Tutoring services offered by University offices such as the SMART Learning Commons, where students participate together in study groups arranged around key introductory-level courses