This study tested the hypothesis that the academic development services offered by the University of California (UC) through the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) result in more students completing the UC preparatory coursework, the first hurdle to being eligible to apply and be admitted to UC. The study analyzed the course-taking behavior of two cohorts of high school students in a large urban school district in California. It analyzed their student level district data from grades 7 through 12, data that included student demographics, language information, course-taking behavior, and course grades from 1994-1995 to 1999-2000. The study used the availability of EAOP at a school to correct for endogeneity of participation in these programs. This technique, known as differences in statistics, statistically separated the effect of participation in EAOP on students' subsequent completion of the UC preparatory coursework from the effects of other characteristics of the student or the school. The results, which were definitive, suggest that students who participate in EAOP throughout high school are twice as likely to complete the UC preparatory coursework by the end of 12th grade than were nonparticipants. Two appendixes describe student characteristics and achievement and the means and standard deviations for study variables. (Author/SLD)