Bridging the Education Gap for Rural Students

Alejandra Campos and Marjorie Betley might be admissions professionals at an urban university, but they're also proud to serve as advocates for rural students.

At the 2025 Prepárate Conference, the two deputy directors of admissions at the University of Chicago offered their insights on connecting with rural students, enhancing college access for them, and how the STARS (Small Town and Rural Student) College Network can amplify that work.

Prepárate™ is College Board’s nationally recognized event, bringing together hundreds of educators, students, and parents to focus on advancing Latino student success in college and careers.  

Understanding the Challenges and Strengths of the Rural Community

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 9.5 million U.S. students go to public rural schools. But Betley and Campos noted that fewer than 20% of rural adults over the age of 25 have a college degree. As the presenters point out, rural high schoolers often experience limited access to direct information from colleges, curriculum options, school counseling, and internet access.

Though rural students face a set of challenges unique to their community, Betley and Campos urge attendees to consider the huge strengths of rural students: ingenuity, grit, community-mindedness, strong relationship-building skills, and a mentality of giving back (not just the “moving up” and “moving out” that characterizes many urban mindsets).

Best Practices for Enhancing College Access for Rural High Schoolers

At the University of Chicago, three best practices have been particularly successful in enhancing college access for rural students:

• Early Engagement and Experiences: Through a summer enrichment program for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, rural students can spend one week on campus to experience living in the dorms, attending classes taught by UChicago faculty, and interacting with admissions officers. It’s an exciting opportunity to see what it’s really like to be in an urban educational setting. This is supplemented by school visits that the UChicago admissions team makes around the country to rural and small-town high schools.
   
• Partnerships: STARS College Network has created numerous partnerships with access organizations designed to support rural and small-town students in the college-going process. Through an initiative with STARS, Schoolhouse, and Khan Academy^® to prepare small-town and rural students for college-level mathematics courses, UChicago recognizes Schoolhouse certifications as meaningful credentials in the college application process.
   
• Community Buy-In: Relationships are important to the rural community, Betley points out during the session. So it’s important that she and her colleagues make the admissions office at UChicago feel welcoming to rural students. Campos describes offering cookies and snacks in the office during orientation to invite students in so they can ask questions of the team. They also often connect rural students to each other as a way to foster deeper community and help them build support systems amongst students who share familiar backgrounds.

More on the STARS College Network

The Small Town and Rural Student College Network is a nationwide consortium of 32 top colleges and universities aimed at partnering with high schools and access organizations to nurture education opportunities for rural and small-town students.

Four pillars govern the work of the network:
 

• STARS member schools are dedicated to sending admissions staff into rural and small-town high schools to provide admissions support that helps students navigate the college search, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities.
   
• STARS campuses offer free fly-in or drive-in programs so rural students can visit their institutions.
   
• STARS admissions professionals offer virtual college access and affordability programing to students, parents, and educators who cannot attend in-person events.
   
• STARS encourages students to bring their skills and experiences back to their hometowns through ambassador programs, internship opportunities, and full-time jobs created through various partnership programs.