The shortage of high school counselors is among the pressing issues facing the education system today. In Michigan, there are currently 729 students to every counselor, straining students’ access to guidance and resources. In 2004, Dr. Nicole Hurd, then an assistant dean of undergraduate research and fellowships at the University of Virginia, had an idea to supplement low-income schools with college counseling services (Read “Bridging The Information Gap To Higher Education”). Her idea became the College Advising Corps (CAC). Hurd helped develop a model in which recent college graduates are recruited to serve for one to two years terms as college advisers and to promote a college-going culture in high schools. Since its inception at the University of Virginia, the CAC has grown to 25 partner colleges in 15 different states, including the University of Michigan. The Michigan College Advising Corps, a program of the Center for Educational Outreach, is now in its 8th year of supporting students in high schools throughout the state.

Learn more about MCAC and CAC.