Natalie Benne
Washington University in St. Louis
$150M
investment over the next ten years
STARS College Advisor Program
The STARS College Advisor Program is a pilot initiative by the STARS College Network, generously funded by the Trott Family Philanthropies. The program provides comprehensive, on-demand college advising for students and families at participating high schools by leveraging the flexibility of a hybrid model, with virtual advisors based at the four participating universities partnering with small town and rural high schools across the US.
Program Impact
The STARS College Network is made up of 32 of the nation's most prominent institutions, all committed to supporting and recruiting small-town and rural students. It can be challenging to achieve admission to these prestigious colleges and universities, and others of their caliber – especially for students who are first generation, limited income, or attending high schools with limited course options and college advising resources. With these challenges in mind, Trott Family Philanthropies will invest more than $150 million in programs that recruit and support rural students over the next ten years. The STARS College Advising Program is one of these programs.
What We Provide
- 1:1 on-demand virtual college advising for 12th grade students
- Informational webinars and on-site events for students and families
- College access and financial aid advice for 8th – 12th grade students
- Support when applying for local, state, and national awards and scholarships
- Resources from STARS college partners and college access organizations
Goals
1
Increase education about the lifelong opportunities provided by attending and graduating from a top four-year college or university
2
Expand the number of students choosing to apply to and attend top four-year colleges and universities
3
Provide expert college advising for students and their families in grades 8-12
4
Collaborate with school staff to build relationships with advisees and their families
5
Improve college admissions results, graduation rates, and career outcomes
Curriculum
Applying to a selective or highly selective four-year college can be a complicated process! Most of these institutions use holistic admissions, meaning they evaluate all the different parts of the application in order to make an admissions decision.
STARS College Advisors support program participants by helping them navigate:
Picking the right high school coursework to be a competitive applicant
Where to apply – the college search, building an application list, match and fit
Completing the right application type – Common App, Coalition, QuestBridge
Application materials – essays, activity lists, letters of recommendation
Financial Aid – net price calculators, the FAFSA, the CSS Profile, scholarships
Enrollment – choosing a school, comparing award letters, registration
Partner High Schools
CALIFORNIA
American Canyon High School Lucas Chittick & Yailene Salinas
Napa High School Lucas Chittick & Yailene Salinas
New Tech High School Lucas Chittick & Yailene Salinas
Vintage High School Lucas Chittick & Yailene Salinas
Orestimba High School
TEXAS
Port Isabel High School
Nacogdoches High School Yailene Salinas
IDAHO
Salmon High School Lucas Chittick & Yailene Salinas
NEW MEXICO
Wingate High School Lucas Chittick
MISSOURI
Troy Buchanan High School Natalie Benne
Clinton High School Phillip Layfield
Farmington High School Ellie Self
ILLINOIS
Massac County High School Ellie Self
Meet Our Advising Team
Harold Burdette
Vanderbilt University
Lucas Chittick
University of Chicago
Phil Layfield
Washington University in St. Louis
Yailene Salinas
University of Chicago
Ellie Self
Washington University in St. Louis
Interested In Learning More?
If you are a school administrator, counselor, teacher, or community member and you'd like to learn more about this program please click the link to fill out our interest form. We're always looking to see where we could be of service across the United States.