The Class of 2025 isn’t done yet. This summer, dozens of students earned their diplomas and crossed the finish line, just on a slightly different timeline than the May graduates.

School is still weeks away from resuming, but a group of soon-to-be high-schoolers is getting a head start on the journey toward college.

Historically, few students could jump ahead, and most who did were from schools with few low-income students. Chicago Public ...