No-excuses charter schools are a prominent urban education reform model in the United States. Although these schools have had success in getting students to college, the degree to which they prepare students for college life is less clear. Drawing from interviews with 15 alumni from a no-excuses high school, we found that the highly structured academic and behavioral practices--or 'hand holding'--of no-excuses schools contrasted sharply with the independence, self-advocacy, and social skills students needed in college. Our findings have implications for disciplinary practices in no-excuses schools and for policies to expand no-excuses charters as a solution to addressing racial inequities in education. We also highlight the mismatch low-income students of color often experience as they enter the higher education field.