College Advising Corps Making A Difference For Disadvantaged Students

By Dr. Marciene Mattleman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Chronicle of Higher Education has published its 2014 Influence List and Nicole Hurd made it.

Hurd is identified as a 'messenger' and was a recent speaker on college access at a White House summit.

The mission of her organization, College Advising Corps, with initial funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, "provides disadvantaged students with the kind of advising that students at wealthier schools take for granted."

Hurd, who was motivated by research that showed that the average college counselor serves more than 450 students, places recent graduates of 23 partner colleges in high-need high schools, where they work to create a college-going culture with simple ideas like putting signs on teachers' doors saying where they went to college and what they studied.

It works!

Seniors who met with an advisor were 23% more likely to apply to college than those who didn't.

Read more in The Chronicle Of Higher Education.