Summary of Rural Student Resources
Brett Fuller, Academic Development Manager for Pioneer Academics, introduced the panelists: Marjorie Betley, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Chicago; Drew Goodwin, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Colby College; and Melissa Rodriguez, Admissions Counselor at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech). All three are active in the STARS College Network, a consortium of 16 colleges and universities of various sizes that provides rural and small town students with resources and information about making college choices.
One STARS program is a monthly webinar that covers such topics as essay writing, financial policies, and how different schools review applications. The different perspectives from the 16 schools help give students an idea of the variety of approaches to these topics. The STARS fly-in program brings rural and small town students from across the US to college campuses for an in-depth sample of college life. Two of the panelists were about to embark on a STARS outreach trip, visiting schools in several midwestern states to introduce the program.
Betley asked the panelists to describe how their different schools support rural, first-generation, immigrant, and low-income students. Rodriguez answered that in addition to the fly-in program, CalTech has a summer bridge program where newly-admitted students from demographics that are underrepresented in STEM can take math and computer science courses, live on campus with their cohort, and build a sense of community. The school also provides mental wellness support, a peer advocacy program, and free writing tutoring centers. She pointed out that CalTech is itself a small, tight-knit community with much the same environment as a small town.
Goodwin noted that Colby is located in Maine, the most rural state in the nation, and that much of the school’s outreach is to Maine students, who make up about 8% of the student population. One goal is to create a college-going culture in Maine through programs that bring prospective students and families to campus, and that visit high schools throughout the state. Colby emphasizes that post-college planning should start in the first semester, not junior or senior year, and funds internships to give students an opportunity to experience larger cities and research opportunities.
Betley described the Emerging World Leaders program that invites high school students to the U Chicago campus between their freshman and sophomore years. They stay in the dorms, take classes, get an idea of what college will be like, and begin to think about the application process. A second Emerging World Leaders program between the junior and senior years offers a more intensive classroom experience, and focused attention to preparing college applications. Once admitted, students are supported with peer-to-peer programs, and financial help for first-generation students.
In response to participants’ questions, all three panelists agreed that neither a gap year nor a lack of variety of experience because of the limitations of a student’s environment were red flags on an application. Their advice about both was the same: “Context is key. We want to get to know you as a person.”
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