# College Coaching & Advising ## expand\_more ## Key Issue Overview Disparities in college enrollment persist among historically marginalized groups, including low-income students, rural students, and students of color (NCES, [2018](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdf/Indicator_CPA/coe_cpa_2018_05.pdf); [2022](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/lbb/postsecondary-enrollment-rural?tid=1000); [2024](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cpb/college-enrollment-rate)). Although many of these students express a strong desire to pursue higher education, they often lack the personalized support needed to navigate the college application and enrollment processes. High school counselors play a key role in this guidance; however, they often manage large caseloads – much higher than the recommended student-to-counselor ratio of 250:1 ([ASCA, 2023](https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/a988972b-1faa-4b5f-8b9e-a73b5ac44476/ratios-22-23-alpha.pdf)). Additionally, college counseling constitutes only a small fraction of their overall responsibilities and training, which limits their capacity to provide the individualized support that students often need. To address this gap, college coaching programs funded and executed by external organizations, such as state agencies and nonprofits, aim to supplement the efforts of school counselors. These programs provide intensive, one-on-one advising that mirrors the support higher resourced schools can offer, and wealthier families can purchase privately. By focusing on relationship-building through regular interactions, these programs guide students through key steps in the college application and enrollment processes, including the completion of college and financial aid applications. Another approach to supplementing college coaching provided by school counselors is to have teachers deliver college guidance through a dedicated course. One study reviewed in this section tested the effect of an 18-week college planning course for high school seniors, taught by teachers, offered in high schools throughout Michigan. ### Research Evidence expand\_more This collection of studies examines the effect of providing college coaching and advising throughout students’ senior year of high school, with some programs beginning earlier. The goal is to assist students in navigating and completing college application and enrollment processes. The interventions reviewed on this page are, in general, the most intensive (in terms of scope, time, and cost) out of all interventions included in the *Navigating Steps to College Enrollment* research domain. With the exception of one study, implementation for all the interventions studied here was facilitated by non-district resources, such as those provided by a state education agency or nonprofit. The study evaluating the effect of an 18-week college planning course relied on current teachers to teach the course, though curriculum development and teacher trainings were supported by a statewide nonprofit. Near-Peer Advising College Planning Course Intensive College Coaching ## Near-Peer Advising **What the Studies Tested:** - These studies tested the impact of near-peer advisors (high school seniors or current college students) who provided college coaching to high school students. Advisors received training before the intervention began and provided encouragement, reminders, and support for college enrollment processes (e.g., college entrance exam support, financial aid applications). The two studies that used current college students as advisors involved regular, typically weekly, contact and meetings between near-peer advisors and their advisees. The study that included high school seniors as advisors, alongside a full-time staff member, had advisors focus more on general programming and fostering a college-going culture in their school. **What the Studies Found:** - The two studies that used current college students found positive effects on four-year college enrollment. The study that used high school seniors found an increase in college applications and acceptances, but no effect on enrollment. Across the advising models, there were larger effects for certain groups of students, including first-generation college students, lower-income students, Hispanic students and (in one study) female students. *Click the dropdowns below to read summaries of each study included in the overall synthesis. Unless noted otherwise, all reported effects are statistically significant at the p<.05 level. Studies are linked (see author name and publication date). When available, we link an open access version of the study*. [Explore our methodology](/rc-methodology) Open all sections Close all sections ### The Student Outreach for College Enrollment (SOURCE) program (Bos et al., 2012) expand\_more **Study:** **The Impacts of SOURCE: A Program to Support College Enrollment through Near-Peer, Low-Cost Student Advising** ([Bos et al., 2012](https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/impacts-source-program-support-college-enrollment-through-near-peer)) **Intervention:** The Student Outreach for College Enrollment (SOURCE) program matched high school juniors with a near-peer advisor who provided college advising services during the end of the students’ junior year through senior year. The advisors were in regular (weekly) contact with their advisees, often through a brief call or text. The advisors provided support, advice, reminders, and encouragement throughout the college admissions process and guided students through a series of steps related to applying for college and financial aid (e.g., completing college admissions tests; writing college essay; selecting and applying to colleges; completing the FAFSA). - Participants’ families were also offered free tax prep services through H&R Block, but there was minimal take-up. **Context**: - The intervention took place during the 2006-07 school year and was implemented by an education nonprofit, the EdBoost Education Corporation. Study participants were students attending Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). - Juniors from LAUSD who were on track academically for four-year college enrollment were mailed recruitment letters and enrollment forms for the SOURCE program. Randomization occurred within the group of students who signed up. - The advisors were current undergraduate or graduate students at nearby colleges who were LAUSD alumni. The advisors were paid and received extensive training. The program aimed to match students with advisors who shared similar characteristics, such as ethnicity, first-generation college status, and primary language. Each advisor was assigned 15 students and spent an average of 9.2 hours with each advisee over the intervention year. **Research Design:** Randomized Controlled Trial **Findings:** - *High School Outcomes* - Increased students’ likelihood of taking the SAT by 4.2 percentage points. - No effect on students’ SAT scores, HS GPA, or whether they graduated from HS. - *College Enrollment Outcomes* - The intervention did not increase overall immediate college enrollment, but did impact where students enrolled in college. - Increased likelihood of applying to college by 2.5 percentage points. - Increased four-year college enrollment by 3.5 percentage points. - Increased enrollment at a college in the University of California or California State University system by 4.4 percentage points. - *Financial Aid Outcomes* - Increased FAFSA filing by 3.8 percentage points. - Increased grant and scholarship receipt by 4.8 percentage points. - No effect on using loans to pay for college. **Subgroup Findings:** - Across outcomes, the largest effects were on first-generation college students and students whose primary language is Spanish. ### Near-Peer College Coaching (Carrell & Sacerdote, 2017) expand\_more **Study:** **Why Do College-Going Interventions Work?** ([Carrell & Sacerdote, 2017](https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/app.20150530)) **Intervention:** Near-peer college coaching offered to high school seniors who were identified by their high school counselor as being on the margin of applying to college. Students were offered weekly mentoring from Dartmouth undergraduates beginning in the winter of their senior year and continuing until their college applications were complete. The mentors also aimed to have students complete all parts of the FAFSA aside from parent income information. In addition to the weekly coaching, the program covered fees for applications and college admission tests (e.g., SAT, ACT) and provided students who completed the program with a $100 cash bonus. - The authors also tested two lower-dose variations of the treatment that did not include the intensive, weekly mentoring. - (1) A cash bonus only treatment where students received the cash bonus but no mentoring. - (2) A transcript / information intervention where students received a personalized letter from one or more college admissions office(s) encouraging the student to apply as well as a letter from the Community College System that described the benefits of attending a community college alongside information about how to apply. In this treatment, the authors also sent student transcripts to colleges in the state, highlighting any students’ names who had indicated an interest in that college. **Context:** - Study participants were seniors whose high school guidance counselor identified as having expressed interest in attending college, but who had not taken any or many steps towards applying. The intervention was implemented at twelve high schools in New Hampshire for students in the high school classes of 2009-2014. **Research Design:** Randomized Controlled Trial **Findings:** - Among the full sample, the intervention led to a 5-percentage point increase in enrollment at any college and a 6-percentage point increase in enrollment at a four-year college. - Providing students with only the $100 cash bonus (but no mentoring) had no effect on college enrollment. - The transcript only intervention had no effect on college enrollment. **Subgroup Findings:** - The positive enrollment effects were driven by female students. When examining effects of the intervention by gender, there were large impacts of the intervention for female students but no impacts on male students. For female students, the intervention led to a 15-percentage point increase in college enrollment and a 10-percentage point increase in enrollment at a four-year college. The intervention did not impact two-year college enrollment. - The intervention had larger effects on students who had not yet taken the SAT at the start of the intervention. ### Texas GO Center (Cunha et al., 2018) expand\_more **Study:** **Information and College Decisions: Evidence From the Texas GO Center Project** ([Cunha et al., 2018](https://faculty.nps.edu/jcunha/Cunha_Information_College_Decisions.pdf)) **Intervention:** GO Center program is a high school-based program that provides college information and aims to build a college-going culture at the school. There is a dedicated classroom for the program that has computers, internet access, and printed materials about applying for college. The GO Center is staffed by a full-time employee and supported by peer advisors, typically college-bound seniors, who attend a week-long training session in the summer. The GO Center program was designed and funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). **Context:** - The Texas GO Centers were first introduced in 2005 and targeted high school juniors and seniors. The state selected 40 schools with low historical college enrollment rates, located throughout the state, to receive the program. The overall structure of the GO Centers was the same across sites, but schools could tailor implementation based on their individual context. The full-time staff member helped students with tasks such as researching colleges, registering for college admissions tests, and completing financial aid and college applications. The peer mentors were encouraged to form close relationships with student-advisees and helped implement various college-going programming. **Research Design:** Difference-in-Differences **Effects:** *The Texas Go Centers led to...* - *College Applications* - A 5 percentage point increase in percent of students sending any applications to a Texas four-year public college. - A 14 percentage point increase in the number of applications sent to Texas four-year public colleges. - *College Acceptance* - A 5 percentage point increase in percent of students accepted at any Texas four-year public colleges. - An 11 percentage point increase in the number Texas four-year public college acceptances. - *College Enrollment* - No effect on college enrollment rates either immediately after high school graduation or within eight years of high school graduation. - There was a marginally significant (p<0.1) 3 percentage point increase in enrollment at a Texas college within a year of high school graduation among students exposed to the GO Centers for two years. - *College Persistence and Completion* - No effect on college persistence or completion. **Subgroup Effects:** - There were stronger effects for students who had access to the GO Center for two years vs one year. - There were stronger effects for Hispanic students and students from low-income families. ## College Planning Course **What the Study Tested:** - The single study in this category ([Hyman, 2023](https://doi.org/10.26300/78kr-sw82)) studied the effect of an 18-week college planning course for high school seniors, taught by existing school staff (with curriculum development and teacher training supported by a statewide nonprofit). The course covered topics such as postsecondary education opportunities, the application process, and strategies for college persistence **What the Study Found:** - Among the full sample of participants, the college planning course had no statistically significant effects on college enrollment and persistence, though did have a small positive effect on associate’s degree receipt. Exploratory subgroup analyses find that the course increases enrollment among low-income, high-achieving students (who have relatively high persistence rates) and decreases enrollment among low-achieving students who otherwise would likely have enrolled in college and subsequently dropped out. *Click the dropdowns below to read summaries of each study included in the overall synthesis. Unless noted otherwise, all reported effects are statistically significant at the p<.05 level. Studies are linked (see author name and publication date). When available, we link an open access version of the study*. [Explore our methodology](/rc-methodology) Open all sections Close all sections ### Teacher Taught College Planning Course (Hyman, 2023) expand\_more **Study:** **College Counseling in the Classroom: Randomized Evaluation of a Teacher-Based Approach to College Advising (**[**Hyman, 2023**](https://doi.org/10.26300/78kr-sw82)**)** **Intervention:** This study examined the impact of an 18-week college planning course for high school seniors, taught by existing school staff. The course ran during the fall semester and into January and covered topics such as postsecondary education opportunities, the application process, and strategies for college persistence. Curriculum development and teacher training were supported by the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN). **Context**: - The sample for the study consisted of 6,704 class of 2017 high school seniors from 62 Michigan high schools. - The sample was more economically disadvantaged and racially diverse than the state average: 53% of students were economically disadvantaged, and the racial makeup was 56% White and 36% Black. Overall, the sample represented a lower-achieving and more underserved student population compared to the overall Michigan population. - Randomization was at the high school level, and the effects were measured by comparing the outcomes for students in schools that were randomized into the college planning course treatment with students in similar schools that were randomized into a control group and did not offer the course. **Research Design:** Randomized Controlled Trial **Findings:** *Participating in the college planning course...* - *College Enrollment and Persistence Outcomes* - Had no effect on overall college enrollment within four years of HS graduation - Had no effect on the probability of enrolling and persisting to year 2 of college - Led to a marginally significant (p<.1), 2.5 percentage point increase in the probability of enrolling and persisting to year 3 of college. - *Degree Completion Outcomes* - Increased probability of earning an associate’s degree by 1.5 percentage point - Had no effect on probability of enrolling immediately after HS graduation and earning a bachelor’s degree within 4 years of HS graduation. **Subgroup Findings:** *The author conducted various exploratory analyses to explore heterogenous treatment effects as well as to test potential mechanisms behind the effects. More information on these analyses can be found in the working paper, but some main takeaways are described here.* - Among lower-income participants, there are no effects on overall college enrollment, but participation in the program led to an approximately 3 percentage point increase in the probability of enrolling in and persisting to at least year 2 or year 3 of college. - The college planning course had a positive enrollment effect on students with higher baseline college readiness levels and a negative enrollment effect on students with lower baseline college readiness levels. - When looking at effects by both baseline college readiness and family income, the authors find that the college planning course increases enrollment among low-income, high-achieving students (who have relatively high persistence rates) and decreases enrollment among low-achieving students who otherwise would likely have enrolled in college and subsequently dropped out. ## Intensive College Coaching **What the Studies Tested:** - The interventions in these studies provided intensive, one-on-one college coaching to juniors and/or seniors focusing on postsecondary planning and enrollment. The coaches assisted students with tasks throughout the entire college application and enrollment process. Advisers met with students regularly, sometimes as often as twice a week, offering proactive outreach and building strong relationships. These interventions generally targeted students who were on the margin of college-going or on the margin of four-year college going. Variation among the studies include whether the intervention was a whole-school model or targeted a subset of students. Some interventions aimed to increase enrollment in four-year colleges, while others facilitated enrollment in 2- and 4- year colleges. Many of the interventions specifically targeted low-income students, first-generation college students, and students of color. Implementation of all of these interventions was facilitated through external funding and implementation resources (e.g., staff), rather than relying on existing district resources. **What the Studies Found:** - The studies found varying effects on college enrollment, with some indicating positive impacts on overall enrollment while others found no significant effects. Several studies found that the interventions induced students to attend four-year colleges and institutions with better average student outcomes. The more intensive coaching programs tested, College Forward and Bottom Line, resulted in increases in college enrollment, primarily driven by an increase in four-year college attendance. Several interventions positively affected pre-enrollment tasks, such as enhancing students’ sense of support in the college application/enrollment process; increasing college applications; and increasing FAFSA completion. Across most studies, the largest effects were among low-income students and students of color (Black and Latino students). *Click the dropdowns below to read summaries of each study included in the overall synthesis. Unless noted otherwise, all reported effects are statistically significant at the p<.05 level. Studies are linked (see author name and publication date). When available, we link an open access version of the study*. [Explore our methodology](/rc-methodology) Open all sections Close all sections ### Providing High Schools with a Full-Time College Coach (Stephan & Rosenbaum, 2011) expand\_more **Study:** **Can High Schools Reduce College Enrollment Gaps with a New Counseling Model?** [(Stephan & Rosenbaum, 2011)](https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/documents/working-papers/2011/IPR-WP-11-06.pdf) *This study was published as* [*“Can High Schools Reduce College Enrollment Gaps with a New Counseling Model?”*](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0162373712462624) *in 2013 but is behind a paywall.* **Intervention:** College Coach Program is a counseling model that places a full-time college coach in each treated high school. This individual is solely dedicated to postsecondary planning and enrollment, organizing formal programming (e.g., college fairs, tours, workshops) and offering support through one-on-one meetings, proactive outreach, and building strong relationships with students. **Context**: - The College Coaching Program was introduced by Chicago Public Schools in 2004 and implemented at 12 non-selective high schools. Each school was assigned a full-time coach dedicated to providing students assistance in the college enrollment process (e.g., completing college applications, filing the FAFSA, applying for scholarships). Coaches were given the goal of increasing student attendance at four-year colleges. Access to the coach was continuous throughout students’ senior year. **Research Design:** Difference-in-Differences **Findings:** - Attending a school with a coach led to a marginally significant (p<0.1) 13% increase in the odds of attending college relative to not enrolling in college. - Attending a coach school led to a statistically significant (p<.05) 24% increase in the odds of attending a less selective four-year college (relative to attending a two-year college). - The intervention had no effect on whether students enrolled at a more- versus less-selective four-year college. - The intervention increased completion of some college application tasks: - 20% increase in odds of applying to 3+ colleges. - 17% increase in odds of completing the FAFSA. - Did not affect whether or not students applied for or received scholarships. **Subgroup Findings:** - The intervention had larger effects among more disadvantaged students, such as Latino students, lower socio-economic status students, and non-AP students. - Intervention had larger effects among more disadvantaged students, such as Latino students, lower socio-economic status students, and non-AP students. ### Advise Texas (Bettinger & Evans, 2019) expand\_more **Study:** **College Guidance for All: A Randomized Experiment in Pre-College Advising** ([Bettinger & Evans, 2019](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594418.pdf)) **Intervention:** Advise Texas, a college advising program in Texas that places recent college graduates in high schools to serve as full-time college advisers. Participants receive information about and assistance with the college search, application, and financial aid processes. **Context:** - The intervention was implemented at 36 Texas high schools in 2011-2014. The advisers received an intensive, 6-week summer training prior to the start of the intervention. Though the intervention is a whole-school mode, there was a focus on providing services to low-income and first-generation students. On average, seniors in treatment schools received 3.5 individual advising sessions and 2.1 group advising sessions. **Research Design:** Randomized Controlled Trial **Findings:** *Being exposed to the Advise Texas program had...* - No statistically significant effects on overall college enrollment or four-year college enrollment among the full sample of students. Increased enrollment at two-year colleges by 2 percentage points. **Subgroup Findings:** - A marginally significant (p<.1) 2 percentage point increase in overall college enrollment among Hispanic students. Increased two-year college enrollment among Hispanic students by 3 percentage points (statistically significant). - A marginally significant (p<.1) 2 percentage point increase in two-year college enrollment among low-income students. ### Career Compass of Louisiana (Joshi & Barnes, 2021) expand\_more **Study:** **Impact of a Low-Cost Postsecondary Enrollment Intervention: Evidence from Louisiana** ([Joshi & Barnes, 2021](https://direct.mit.edu/edfp/article-abstract/16/3/493/97138/Impact-of-a-Low-Cost-Postsecondary-Enrollment?redirectedFrom=fulltext)) **Intervention:** Career Compass of Louisiana, a college coaching program that provides students with one-on-one, in-person advising focused on all aspects of the college application process. Coaching sessions are offered during school hours and are required for seniors. **Context**: - The program was implemented by a non-profit in 99 public high schools across Louisiana and provided support to high school seniors. Career Compass was a whole-school model, meaning that all seniors in each treatment school received the program. The program offers support and guidance for students across the full range of college pathways, including technical schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions. Advising activities included goal setting through a College Success Plan, career aptitude. **Research Design:** Difference-in-Differences **Findings:** - Exposure to Career Compass increased college enrollment by approximately 4-6 percentage points, depending on the model specification. **Subgroup Findings:** - The program had a larger impact in schools with a majority Black population and lower-income schools, increasing enrollment by about 7.5 percentage points in majority Black schools and 5.9 percentage points in lower-income schools. ### Virtual Student Outreach for College Enrollment (V-SOURCE) Program (Phillips & Reber, 2019) expand\_more **Study:** **Does Virtual Advising Increase College Enrollment? Evidence from a Random Assignment College Access Field Experiment** ([Phillips & Reber, 2019](https://www.nber.org/papers/w26509)) *This study was published as “*[*Does Virtual Advising Increase College Enrollment? Evidence from a Random Assignment College Access Field Experiment*](https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.20200515)*?” in 2022 but is behind a paywall.* **Intervention:** Virtual Student Outreach for College Enrollment (V-SOURCE), a virtual college advising program. The intervention was 15 months long (March of junior year through summer after senior year) and included two variations: - (1) *Milestones variant*: Students received access to a comprehensive website about the college admissions and financial aid processes; access to a SAT preparation curriculum; received weekly personalized email and text messages with reminders about key deadlines; received a $20 gift card for completing key college application milestones (e.g., taking SAT/ACT, applying to two four-year college systems). - (2) *Complete variant:* Students received all components of the milestones variant as well as access to a virtual advisor (available via phone, social media, email, and text) who could assist with any portion of college enrollment process or financial aid application. **Context**: - The program was implemented in southern and central California during the 2011-12 and 2012-12 school years. V-SOURCE was developed and implemented by EdBoost Education, a Los-Angeles-based nonprofit. - To find participants for the study, V-SOURCE first recruited large California high schools that served predominately low-income students of color. From those schools, the organization recruited individual participants – distributing applications to 11th graders. To be eligible for the study, students had to be on track to meet the minimum eligibility criteria for a California four-year public college. - Advisers were recruited by the organization and were provided with six in-person training sessions. Advisors were assigned to 26 students each. - The estimated cost of the intervention was $84 per participant in the *Milestones* treatment and $529 per participant in the *Complete* treatment. **Research Design:** Randomized Controlled Trial **Findings:** - *College information and support:* Students participating in V-SOURCE reported having more information and being more supported while applying to college and for financial aid. Both the *Milestones* and *Complete* treatment had statistically significant effects, though the effects were larger for students in the *Complete* group. - *College enrollment tasks:* Neither variations of V-SOURCE impacted whether students registered for or took the SAT, nor did it affect whether they submitted their FAFSA on time. - *College applications:* Across both variations, participation in V-SOURCE increased the likelihood that students applied to any four-year college and led them to apply to a broader range of colleges (i.e., selective, CSU system, UC system). - *College acceptance, enrollment, & persistence:* Neither variation of the V-SOURCE program affected students’ college acceptance, enrollment, or persistence. ### Bottom Line (Barr & Castleman, 2021) expand\_more **Study: The Bottom Line on College Advising: Large Increases in Degree Attainment** ([Barr & Castleman, 2021](https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED616744)) **Intervention:** The Bottom Line (BL) college advising program helps economically disadvantaged, academically ready students in Massachusetts, New York, and Illinois increase bachelor's degree attainment. It offers two types of advising: (1) Access Advising, which supports students from the summer before senior year through the summer after high school, and (2) Success Advising, which provides ongoing support for up to six years for enrolled students. In this study, students who received Bottom Line advising support were compared to eligible students who did not participate in the program. **Context**: - The sample included students from graduating classes of 2015 (1,429 students) and 2016 (993 students), with outcomes tracked through 2021. - Bottom Line targets low-income students with a GPA of 2.5 or higher, in urban areas including Boston, Worcester, NYC, and Chicago - Bottom Line advisors typically supported 50-60 students, meeting with each one for an hour every three to four weeks during senior year. The meetings took place at the organization’s local office. **Research Design:** Randomized Controlled Trial **Findings:** *Participating in the Bottom Line advising program led to…* - *College Enrollment*: - 5.3 percentage point increase in overall college enrollment - 9.1 percentage point increase four-year college enrollment. - 4 percentage point decrease in two-year college enrollment - Increase in enrollment at institutions with better average student outcomes *(i.e., institutions with higher grad rates, lower student loan default rates, higher average earnings, and higher mobility)* - *Degree Attainment:* The program also led to increases in degree attainment, though these are likely attributable to both the high-school advising and continued advising throughout college. - 6.2-9.6 percentage point increase in bachelor’s degree (BA) attainment *(results vary by 100%, 125%, and 150% graduation time).* - 3.0-3.3 percentage point decrease in associate degree (AA) attainment *(results vary by 100% and 150% graduation time)* - Increase in BA attainment among institutions with better average student outcomes *(i.e., institutions with higher grad rates, lower student loan default rates, higher average earnings, and higher mobility)* **Subgroup Findings:** - The findings were generally consistent among student subgroups (i.e., by race, gender, high school performance, access to alternative college access programs, and family resources) ### College Forward (now known as College Possible Texas; Castleman et al., 2024) expand\_more **Study:** **Pushing College Advising Forward: Experimental Evidence on Intensive Advising and College Success** ([Castleman et al., 2024](https://edworkingpapers.com/ai20-326)) **Intervention:** College Forward (now known as College Possible Texas) is an intensive college advising program that provides individualized, in-person advising to students starting in their junior year of high school and continuing throughout college. **Context**: - The study sample consists of students from the high school graduating classes of 2017-2020 across 11 high schools in Austin and Houston, Texas. To be eligible for the program, students must be in the top 60% of their class and either be lower-income or first-generation college students. The majority of students in the study sample were Hispanic. - The coaches for College Forward were recent college graduates hired through AmeriCorps. - During their junior and senior years, participants regularly met with their coaches, up to twice a week, in after-school sessions held at their high school. The advising covered the entire college enrollment process, including college choice, entrance exams, applications, financial aid, and summer transition support. The program also included workshops for parents, available in both English and Spanish. **Research Design:** Randomized Controlled Trial **Findings:** - *College Enrollment* - College Forward increased college enrollment by 7.3 percentage points, primarily at four-year universities. - Participation in College Forward led students to attend higher-quality institutions, as defined by higher average SAT scores, better graduation rates, and higher potential earnings. - *College Persistence* - Students receiving College Forward advising are nearly 12 percentage points more likely to persist to their third year of college. - College Forward increased college persistence through several measures, including a 4.8 percentage point increase in continuous enrollment through the fourth year of college. - *Bachelor's Degree Completion* - College Forward increased bachelor’s degree completion within five years by 6.5 percentage points, though there were no statistically significant effects on bachelor’s degree completion within four or six years. ### Implementation Considerations expand\_more - **Using Near-Peer Mentors**: Near-peer mentoring models, which employ current college students or recent graduates as advisors, have shown promising impacts on increasing four-year college enrollment. Are there local college partnerships that your district could leverage or build to create these programs, offering a potentially more cost-effective solution than hiring a full-time college coach? - **Targeted vs. Whole-School Models**: Some intensive college coaching programs use a whole-school model where services are offered to the full student body, while other programs target specific students. Whole-school models can foster a broader college-going culture and may help avoid potential stigmatization of focusing on only certain groups of students. However, these are typically more costly and resource intensive. Targeted interventions can concentrate resources on students who need the most support (e.g., low-income or first-generation students). Your district should consider the trade-offs in relation to costs and your specific context. - **External Partnerships**: Intensive college coaching programs are expensive to implement and require significant staffing resources – making them out of reach for most public high schools. The college coaching programs reviewed in this section were implemented in partnership with external organizations, such as nonprofits and state education agencies. Are there local colleges or nonprofits that your district can partner with to provide the additional expertise, resources, and funding needed for this type of intervention? Additionally, consider exploring opportunities at the state level that may support building college advising capacity in your district. - **Leveraging Existing Teaching Staff:** Offering a college planning course taught by existing school staff may be a viable alternative if adding dedicated college advising staff (either through partnerships or internal hiring) is not possible. Districts considering this model should offer professional development for teachers and support in developing the curriculum, which may be possible to do through partnership with a local college or nonprofit. - An evaluation of a college planning course in Michigan ([Hyman, 2023](https://doi.org/10.26300/78kr-sw82)) found that the positive enrollment and degree outcomes were concentrated among students with stronger baseline college readiness, while students with lower readiness saw declines in college enrollment as a result of the course. Districts considering a similar course may want to tailor content and supports based on students’ academic readiness levels and should ensure that the curriculum includes guidance on a broad range of postsecondary pathways, not just associate and bachelor’s degree programs. - **Opportunities for District Innovation:** The interventions discussed in this section were funded and managed by external organizations, such as nonprofits and state agencies. However, your district can explore opportunities to adapt and innovate from these strategies to implement interventions within your schools to enhance student college coaching. While full-scale versions of these programs may not be feasible, your district might consider implementing smaller-scale versions of these interventions. - **Implementation Information:** Many of the reviewed studies include detailed implementation details, including cost estimates, which can be used to build out an intervention for your district. Studies are linked below, with open access versions linked when available.