In 1991, Bronx Community College, in New York, established the Freshman Year Initiative Program (FYIP), a comprehensive academic and counseling program designed to enhance academic achievement for a select group of first-semester students who require at least three remedial courses in English composition, reading, and/or mathematics. In order to promote student growth, with particular emphasis upon personal characteristics and interpersonal competencies, and increase retention, the FYIP implemented the following counseling components: (1) the creation of the Freshman Outreach, Caring, Understanding, and Support (FOCUS) Center, a holistic counseling center which provides confidential assistance with individual, vocational, personal, developmental, academic, and social problems through counseling interviews, psychological assessment, and relevant educational and occupational information; (2) psycho-educational testing, including the Noel-Levitz Retention Management System, Myers-Brigg Type indicator, and the California Occupational Preference Survey; (3) peer counseling and tutoring to help students adjust to the college; (4) a rapid contact counseling system to provide immediate contact with absent and "problem" students; and (5) a revised orientation and career development course that includes self-concept development and problem solving/coping skills. Preliminary results suggest that the program has been effective, with 76.5% of FYIP participants continuing enrollment from fall 1993 to fall 1994, compared to 59.3% of non-participants. Contains 20 references. A list of test publishers and the orientation and career development course syllabus are appended. (TGI)