MSU JOINS THE ADVISING CORPS FAMILY

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GETTING MICHIGAN STUDENTS TO COLLEGE:

Michigan State University joins with University of Michigan to get more high school students to college

Chapel Hill -- April 27, 2011: The National College Advising Corps, with headquarters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is pleased to announce to the addition of Michigan State University (MSU) to its national collaboration.  MSU will join the 15 established partnerships between the Advising Corps and prestigious colleges and universities across the country, and will work toward Michigan’s statewide goal to increase the proportion of Michigan residents with college degrees or high-quality credentials to 60% by the year 2025.  MSU will collaborate with the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) to place up to sixteen recent graduates of MSU into high schools in underserved communities across Michigan.  These advisers will guide students through the college admissions process and help them to identify the schools that will serve them well.

“We are thrilled to have Michigan State University join our national partnership,” said Nicole Farmer Hurd, PhD, founder and executive director of the Advising Corps.  “With the support of The Kresge Foundation, we have identified Michigan as having a high need and capacity for college access services, and we are proud to be one of the organizations working in Michigan to move more students toward college enrollment and degree completion.  We partner with counselors and other school administrators to work with students directly on college access issues to make sure that those who are well-qualified to attend college actually apply and enroll.” 

For the 2011-2012 school year, the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) is partnering with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University to support the placement of 32 recent college graduates in urban and rural high schools throughout the state.  “These corps members help Michigan move closer to our big goal of 60% educational attainment by 2025,” said Brandy Johnson, Executive Director of MCAN.  “Only about 36% of Michigan adults have a college degree.  The advisers will help us move the needle on our state’s college participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income, first-generation-college students, by ensuring students are prepared for college – socially, academically, informationally, and financially.” 

The National College Advising Corps is an innovative program that works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation-college, underrepresented students who enter and complete higher education.  Through a nationwide consortium of colleges and universities, recent graduates of partner colleges and universities are hired, trained and placed as full-time college advisers in underserved high schools in both urban and rural areas.  The Advising Corps serves communities across the country to provide the guidance and encouragement that many students need to navigate the complex web of college admissions and secure financial aid.  In addition, advisers work to raise the college-going rates within those schools, which is a profound indicator of whether students will take the steps necessary to actually apply and enroll.

To date, the Advising Corps has served more than 112,000 students since its inception in 2004.  In school year 2010-2011, 175 advisers representing 14 institutions of higher education will reach over 65,000 students in 219 high schools.  In school year 2011-2012, the number of advisers will expand to over 300 with the potential to reach over 100,000 high school students during the year.

Currently, the Advising Corps has programs in partnership with the following institutions of higher education: Brown University; Franklin & Marshall College; Penn State; Tufts University; the University of Alabama; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Georgia; the University of Illinois; the University of Michigan; the University of Missouri; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the University of Texas at Austin; the University of Utah; and the University of Virginia; as well as a program in the State of Alaska.

For more information please visit: www.micollegeaccess.com or www.advisingcorps.org.  

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECISION DAY 2011:

Celebrating the Futures of High School Seniors Across the U.S.

 Chapel Hill, NC, April 1, 2011 – In celebration of Decision Day, college advisers with the National College Advising Corps will host various events and activities across the country between April 27 and May 29, 2011.  Decision Day is the day high school seniors make the decision about their post-secondary education or training plans.

“Decision Day is a great way for schools and communities to celebrate the future of its senior class,” says Nicole Hurd, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Advising Corps.  “The purpose of this event is to promote the accomplishments of our high school seniors and to launch them on a path to degree attainment and life-long success.  The Advising Corps is delighted to see students pursue higher education and we applaud them for the choices they make.”

In support of President Obama’s goal that “every American pursue some form of education beyond high school,” Decision Day events are held to praise students’ success and their commitment to post-secondary education or training, while supporting the development of a college-going culture among younger students within the high school.

Seniors are encouraged to wear t-shirts promoting the college they choose to attend or branch of the military they will join, and advisers, faculty and staff from the high school are asked to wear apparel from their alma maters.

The National College Advising Corps, with headquarters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is an innovative program that works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation-college, underrepresented students who enter and complete higher education.  Through a nationwide consortium of colleges and universities, recent graduates of partner colleges and universities are hired, trained and placed as full-time college advisers in underserved high schools throughout the US.  The Advising Corps serves communities across the country to provide the guidance and encouragement that many students need to navigate the complex web of college admissions and secure financial aid.

To date, the Advising Corps has served more than 112,000 students since its inception in 2004.  In school year 2010-2011, 175 advisers representing 14 institutions of higher education will reach over 65,000 students in 219 high schools.

Current partner institutions of higher education include: Brown University; Franklin + Marshall College; Pennsylvania State University; Tufts University; University of Alabama; University of California at Berkeley; University of Georgia; University of Illinois; University of Michigan; University of Missouri at Columbia; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Texas at Austin; University of Utah; and University of Virginia; as well as a program in the State of Alaska.

For more information regarding a specific high school or activities within a specific state, or for general information about the Advising Corps, contact Mia Xavier at mmxavier@admissions.unc.edu or 919.962.5324 or visit our website at www.advisingcorps.org.

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