“The elite prep schools are more likely to have counselors with connections, inside knowledge, or at least sufficient historical knowledge to know which top-end students are good fits to which elite colleges from the colleges’ points of view, so that they can advise students which one would be more worth their effort applying to (rather than applying to HYPSM but perhaps not applying to some other highly selective colleges that would see them as better fits).”
GENERAL OBSERVATION:
Both college advisors and students seemed less stressed and better informed regarding the visiting college and its programs. Things may have changed, but I remember one State where their was one college advisor assigned for each county. They were well credentialed with PhD’s, but just overloaded. One public HS did such an outstanding job, I thought I was in a well heeled private school. It stood apart! The property values and taxes in Chappaqua NY are very high! The irony is that they could afford a private school!
Student orientation and post-secondary advising are particularly critical to first generation students who are generally not found in private secondary schools in large numbers. This includes all undeserved groups and should be a focal point URM advising.
An interesting thread relating to the URM issue can be found at “What can we do to support African American students and their families?”