This study sought to explore the experiences of program mentoring relationships of urban, at-risk, high school seniors to understand the ways in which those experiences influenced the students' decision to apply for college. The problem statement indicates that populations residing in urban, at-risk areas typically have a high probability of influence by negative environmental factors. The study sought to discover if being a part of a mentoring relationship may have a greater influence on this population to apply for college as posited by the ideology of the social support theory. The culture of poverty is the theoretical framework that posits that some people in poverty-stricken areas learn hopelessness and have difficulty believing that higher education could play a role in their lives, and therefore have a difficult time surpassing their state of poverty. The literature review focused on various aspects of at-risk communities, the consequences that may occur due to a lack of formal education, the effectiveness of some mentoring programs, and the benefits of obtaining a college education. The study used a phenomenological, qualitative design to examine the lived experiences of 10 high school seniors from a metropolitan school district in New Jersey who participated in program mentoring services. The data collection process consisted of face-to-face interviews between the researcher and the participants about the participants' mentoring experiences. There was an expectation that common experiences would emerge through data analysis. A text chart exhibits the shared themes that surfaced after data analysis was complete.