Barrier Breakers® founder, Sydney Montgomery, became the first person from her high school to attend Princeton University and later Harvard Law School. The daughter of military parents and a Jamaican immigrant mother, she became passionate about supporting other students on their educational journey. She started working with students on the college application process in 2012 and later the law school application process in 2015. You can learn more about Sydney's story and dedication to first-generation students in her latest TEDx talk: First-Generation Graduates Drive Business Success.

Barrier Breakers® was first born as S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting in 2018, a for-profit admissions consulting company that specialized in working with marginalized students. After rapid growth and realizing that she could serve more students in ways that aligned with her mission and values as a non-profit organization, Sydney converted her entire for-profit company into a non-profit organization.

Since 2020, we have empowered over 7,000 students nationwide through our innovative virtual advising model, resulting in more than $490 million in scholarships awarded. COVID accelerated our virtual approach, allowing us to tap into the expertise of admissions deans, directors, and professionals across the country—from California and Oklahoma to Texas, Maine, and Florida—providing seamless college and law school advising.

Our curriculum development and strategic partnerships in the law school admissions space demonstrated the strength of our admissions curriculum and writing development framework, serving thousands of students during the summers of 2022 and 2023 collaborating with the Law School Admissison Council (LSAC). As we expanded to collaborate with college and university pipeline programs, we discovered the power of combining virtual expertise with in-person cohorts, creating robust learning communities.

Listening to our students, we recognized their need for both ongoing support and meaningful community connections. This insight drove us to establish regional ambassadors, local networks, and workshops with employers—enhancing community-building and career readiness.

Applying these lessons to the college counseling market, we’ve formed strategic partnerships with non-profits and schools, delivering comprehensive counseling to entire student populations. Our model continues to scale, demonstrating proven success through collaboration, innovation, and a relentless commitment to student achievement.

We are thrilled to provide free college counseling to high school students who qualify for Free and Reduced Meal Services and/or attend Title I schools and provide free law school advising to law school applicants who qualify for an income-based fee waiver through the Law School Admission Council. We have created free asynchronous courses that have been downloaded by thousands of students and free podcasts providing expert admissions information to students: Break into College and Break into Law School.

Committed to providing free public education, our Break into Law Conference is the largest virtual conference for first-generation pre-law students, with over 2,000 students registering annually. We have grown and expanded our Outreach and Wellness Program, offering free continued mentorship, wellness checks, guidance, and career support throughout college and law school for our students.

Still, we have a goal to do more.

As we continue to grow as a non-profit organization, we aim to increase donations and funding to expand our free services to more students and expand our Barrier Breakers Impact Hubs to strategic cities across the country. On average, it costs us $50,000-100,000 to fully launch an impact hub of support in each new city. But we know that with your support, we can achieve our goals of robust wraparound support for first-generation students.