I had a similar experience from a working class, 2nd income quartile household, with little contact with big cities or big universities. SAT prep? Tutors? Pr

I had a similar experience from a working class, 2nd income quartile household, with little contact with big cities or big universities. SAT prep? Tutors? Private school? Scoring well on AP tests? These are unknown. But as you say what matters most is information and role models. Many people from outside the upper middle class didn't know about other opportunities. And when they did know, they didn't even think about the opportunities because they didn't know anyone like themselves doing those things. I was lucky to have parents that prioritized education, and a middle school teacher who took an interest in me and got me applying to some summer programs where I met kids who modeled a bunch of different possible paths. It's important to make kids aware of opportunities. Then it's important to make sure they have role models and encouragement.