College Counseling for Students from Rural Settings

In the United States, rural students face unique educational challenges that limit their college access. These challenges include geographic isolation, reduced exposure to college opportunities, and a lack of college-preparatory resources. Rural students benefit from close-knit communities but may lack educational role models. The phenomenon of rural brain drain, where educated individuals migrate to urban areas, exacerbates these issues. Recognizing these challenges, school counselors can use an ecological school counseling framework to support rural students at the individual, interpersonal, school, and community levels. In this course, you will explore practical strategies for expanding career knowledge, addressing undermatching, providing early college exposure, and engaging families and communities to support rural students’ college aspirations.

The basics:

• Intended audience: Secondary counselors and IECs.
• Format: On-demand.
  • Includes the coinciding chapter from the sixth edition of NACAC’s Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling textbook, three video presentations, and four knowledge checks.
• Cost: $25 for members, $50 for nonmembers.
  • A 20 percent discount is available for offices of four or more participants registering for the same course.
• Estimated completion time: 1.75 hours.
  • Participants have six months to access and complete the course.
• Upon completion: Continuing education credit hours and a completion certificate.

Course objectives:

In this course, you will:

• Identify how rural students differ from their urban and suburban peers and how that can impact their college search.
• List the unique challenges faced by rural students pursuing postsecondary education and strategies to overcome these challenges.
• Address undermatching by promoting match and fit.
• Explore strategies for engaging families and communities to support rural students’ college aspirations.
• Address rural student gaps in career knowledge.

Presenters:

• Cathy Longstreet, PhD Student, San Diego State University & Claremont Graduate University

Registration:

Register for this on-demand course using this link: Register today!

PLEASE NOTE: All requests to switch cohorts, extend course access (by 1 month) or changes to course registrations will be subject to a $50 processing fee per person/per course. No refunds will be processed.

Cost:

• $25 for NACAC members*
• $50 for associate/nonmembers 

A 20 percent discount is available for offices of four or more participants registering for the same course. 

*Unsure if you are a NACAC member? You may be eligible through your school or organization’s membership. Contact customer service for more information.

Questions?

For questions about this course, please email customerservice@nacacnet.org.

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5242. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. NACAC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

For more information about this course series, please visit our course page on nacacnet.org.