College Advising Corps

College Advising Corps works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students entering and completing higher education. To do this, College Advising Corps partners with 24 colleges and universities in 14 states to place recent college graduates as college advisers in underserved high schools. College Advising Corps works in communities across the country to provide the advising and encouragement that students need to navigate college admissions. Advisers work full-time to help students plan their college searches, complete admissions and financial aid applications, and enroll at schools that will serve them well. Read More

• About Us
  CAC College Advisers work full-time in underserved high schools to provide the advising and encouragement that students need to navigate the often-complex process of college admissions. College Advising Corps’ approach to advising fosters a college-going culture, as evidenced by intermediate outcomes such as increased numbers of students visiting colleges, registering for college entrance exams, completing college applications, and preparing financial aid applications. College Advising Corps places advisers with the expectation that we will achieve a long-term impact of increasing underrepresented and low-income students' college preparation and attendance behaviors to levels similar to those of their non-disadvantaged peers.
  
  The near-peer model is one of the most exciting and innovative aspects of the program. Each adviser is a recent college graduate who can relate to the students in the high school in powerful ways. This year, of the 532 college advisers nationally, 66% identify as a person of color, 54% were the first in their family to attend college, and 62% were Pell grant eligible themselves in college, meaning their families are classified as “low-income.” They are uniquely qualified to deliver the message, "If I can succeed in college, you can too!" These advisers embody the public service commitment to foster a new generation of engaged citizens.
  
  Unlike most college access programs that work with a small group or “cohort” of students, College Advising Corps takes an open-door, whole-school approach to college advising. This includes one-to-one work with students as well as working to create a college-going culture within the school they serve, which is one of the best indicators of whether students pursue college at all.
• Our Impact
  College Advising Corps’ primary long-term goal is to increase college enrollment rates in our targeted high schools. Our approach has proven to be effective in both urban and rural markets. Participating schools have seen an increase of as much as 50% in college-going, with an average increase of 5-10% across all sites. College Advising Corps high schools show an increase in college visits, FAFSA completion, SAT/ACT registration, college applications, and college acceptances.
  
  According to a student survey conducted by our third-party evaluation team, students meeting with an adviser are more likely to exhibit college-going behaviors. Compared to seniors who have not met with the College Advising Corps adviser, students who have met with the adviser at their school are:
  o 23% more likely to apply to a college/university, 16% more likely to apply to 3+ institutions, 6% more likely to apply to 6 or more institutions
  o 24% more likely to apply to a first choice college
  o 23% more likely to submit a FAFSA
  o 18% more likely to have heard of Pell Grants
  o 18% more likely to take the ACT
  o 14% more likely to take the SAT
  
  Compared to students who have not met with a College Advising Corps adviser, students who have met with an adviser are more likely to: aspire to go to college, participate in college-prep activities, apply to college (and multiple institutions), be accepted to college, and be committed to going to college in the fall.