Giving Compass' Take:

•  Technology advances such as video conferencing and virtual reality can help rural students access opportunities to connect with colleges.

• In what other ways can rural donors support high school graduates to communicate with higher education institutions?

• Read about why colleges aren't recruiting rural students. 

College Possible recently launched a program that helps high-achieving rural students navigate the college application process. Previously, the 19-year-old nonprofit organization focused on assisting low-income urban high schoolers get into college, according to The Hechinger Report.

The program provides rural students access to an off-site college counselor that helps them with college application essays, the Common Application and emotional support throughout the process with monthly calls and regular texts and emails.

Separated by distance and isolated in areas with fewer resources, rural schools typically don’t attract the attention of college recruiters. Traveling three hours to a school with a graduating class of 50 doesn’t make much sense. Not only do rural students not see college recruiters, they often don’t have a college counselor or even a high school counselor since those jobs are often the first to be cut. When counselors are gone, so is a student's roadmap toward opportunities following high school.

The distance that separates rural students from the rest of the world can also cut off their opportunities to visit college campuses, an act that is known to inspire a student’s interest in college. Advances in technology, however, are making the world a smaller place and diminishing the need to meet with someone in person.

Advances in technology, however, are making the world a smaller place and diminishing the need to meet with someone in person.

Videoconferencing can replace the need for travel. Recruiters can even meet virtually with students in real time and answer their questions.

In addition, the rise of virtual reality means that students will soon be able to tour a college campus from the comfort of their own school. It may not be exactly like the real thing, but it is close.

Read the full article about technology connects rural students to college by Shawna De La Rosa at Education Dive.