NACAC - Spring 2020 - 32

10 WAYS TO SUPPORT RURAL STUDENTS
Here are 10 things admission officers, counselors, and others can do to support rural students.

PHOTO © ZACK SMITH.

IN SCHOOLS
Promote higher education early and often. K-12 counselors
and others should encourage students at a young age to explore
all colleges and careers, initially without regard to cost, size,
or distance. With colleagues they can implement coordinated
college planning messages for families as students progress
through the grades. Summer sessions for high school students
have also paid off.
Encourage students to plan ahead. Tell them about factors
that sometimes complicate college attendance for students from
rural areas. Ask them to consider what their challenges will be-
from financial or family pressures to worries about adapting to a big
campus or urban area-and how they will overcome them.
Develop an "all hands" strategy. Schools play an important,
central role in rural areas. Counselors should creatively and
energetically involve the school and local community in efforts to
help students appreciate the value of college, explore their options,
and apply. Support from alumni and other adults can be especially
powerful, as can financial assistance.
Exert peer pressure. Ask recent graduates or, for younger
students, high school juniors and seniors, to provide information
about the college admission process. Building excitement about
attending college can help increase enrollment.
Create college connections. Help connect students with
admission officials who may be less likely to visit. Consider online
chats or collaborate with other schools on visits and college fairs.
Build relationships with admission representatives to help assure
them they'll be connected with interested students and get support
in their recruitment efforts.

THE JOURNAL OF

COLLEGE ADMISSION

IN THE ADMISSION OFFICE
Bury bias. Don't make assumptions. Data shows rural students
perform well. They test better and graduate at a higher rate than
students generally. And beyond that, they often have other unique
characteristics that make them worth pursuing.
Get creative. Consolidate efforts by hosting a "visit day" for
rural students at your school. Consider providing transportation for
participants or schedule an online session for rural applicants. For
students from especially remote areas, stay in touch online and
consider making up for a lack of face-to-face contact by committing to
a greater frequency of online conversations.
Offer focused support. The University of Chicago's Emerging
Rural Leaders Program has boosted enrollment by offering on-campus
summer programs and assistance with the application process for
top students from rural and small-town high schools. The university is
also developing a network of these schools and top colleges to bolster
connections.
Promote peer support. See if enrolled students from a rural region
can help with rural recruitment or provide informational programing.
Several colleges are working with a national program called
Matriculate that rigorously trains undergraduate college students to be
virtual college advisers.
Keep your commitment. Too often students from rural areas leave
college due to financial, social, or academic pressures. Recognize they
may face different and more challenging stressors, but also may be less
likely to seek support. Some colleges have connected incoming rural
students with upperclassmen from similar circumstances or the same
region. The University of Georgia has a very active and successful rural
students' group that provides camaraderie and support.
-Jim Paterson

NACAC - Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NACAC - Spring 2020