Nevaeh Scott graduated from high school in rural Kansas with a class of 42 students. As a first-generation student and the oldest of three kids, she said there was “a lot to navigate” when looking at colleges.
“I remember going to a college info session in Kansas City, and feeling really out of place,” said Scott, now a rising fourth-year student at the University of Chicago. “Our guidance counselor really pushed the in-state option, but I wanted to look at schools in big cities. “
“I think it’s important to let students know that there are people at big schools from rural environments, not everyone has the same education or background, and they belong.”
Scott, who is majoring in global studies and economics with a specialization in business, has taken her experiences coming from a small town to help a new generation of students find the colleges right for them. She is one of four UChicago students serving as mentors for the STARS College Network. STARS (short for Small Town and Rural Students) works to empower students from small-town and rural America to enroll in and graduate from undergraduate programs across the country. UChicago is a founding member and serves as the headquarters for the network, which recently doubled in size to 32 schools.
Students from rural America often face unique obstacles to attending college. While students in small towns and rural communities graduate high school at roughly the same rate as students in metro areas, they are only half as likely to graduate from a selective college or university. Because of distance and cost, college admissions offices may bypass small towns and rural communities, and students in those areas are less likely to encounter college-related ads or attend events on campuses.
Harper Schwab was born in a small town in Northern California—where, according to his parents, there were more cows than people. The rising UChicago fourth-year, who is double majoring in data science and human rights, moved to a mountain town in western North Carolina when he was 10.
“I feel like I would have really benefited from a STARS mentor when I was applying to schools or transitioning into UChicago,” said Schwab. “The students I’m talking to are on the right track, they know what they want to do. What they need is encouragement and support—you can, and you should do this. It’s reminding them that they’re not any less qualified than any other student applying to these schools.”
The mentor program is just one component of the STARS College Network. Launched in 2023 with 16 institutions, members directly engaged with more than 700,000 students in its first year. Collectively, STARS institutions visited 1,100 rural high schools in 49 states to provide information about a wider variety of institutions directly to students and educators. They held virtual panels to help students navigate the college application process, hosted free college visits, connected students to financial aid and more.
With its recent expansion, the network now has a goal of directing an estimated $7.4 billion in programmatic support and financial aid into small-town and rural communities over the next decade. By combining resources, STARS member institutions help a wide variety of students at every step of their journey, whether they ultimately attend a STARS institution or not.
—Sam Marsden
