A Guide to College, Just for Rural and Small-Town Students
Level All doesn’t try to pretend that talented students from rural and small-town communities don’t face unique challenges in going to college. Instead, we help turn that background into a strength.
The Rural and Small-Town Student’s Guide to College
We cover everything that students from rural and small-town communities need to know about college.
- Deciding if college is worth it. Students assess the costs and benefits of a college degree.
- Getting college-ready in high school. Focusing on the “universals” and making the most of whatever is offered by a student’s school or area.
- The benefits of geographic diversity. Finding ways to highlight students’ unique perspectives, insights, and experiences in college applications, as well as finding schools that welcome them.
- Navigating rural-specific challenges. Dealing with fewer admissions officer visits or less outreach, longer travel time to visit schools, and connectivity challenges.
- Overcoming emotional challenges. Finding ways to overcome imposter syndrome, homesickness, pushback from family, or feeling different.
- Finding rural-specific support. Guidance on how to connect with programs that offer extra help, as well as identifying colleges with support systems and communities in place.
College Planning, Applications, and Choice
Level All offers a library of articles, guides, videos, and tools to help students navigate the full college process.
- Standardized testing. Navigating the SAT or ACT and when to send scores.
- Recommendation letters. Getting strong letters that emphasize a student’s strengths.
- The college essay. Step-by-step guidance on writing a personal statement that stands out.
- College priorities. Deciding what’s really important in a college, whether that’s offerings, size, location, speciality, affordability, or anything else that matters.
- The college list. How to build and refine a college list that’s a mix of target, likely, and reach schools.
- Price-checking the college list. The goal is a list of schools where every option is financially possible.
Make the Transition to College, Step By Step
For many students, the challenge isn’t getting into college; it’s staying in college. The foundation students build in their first semester can make all the difference.
- Transition to College I: Your Pre-Semester To-Dos. Paying bills, sending transcripts, choosing a meal plan, making a packing list, joining groups for accepted students, and more. There’s even an email template for the first meeting with an advisor.
- Transition to College II: Your First Few Weeks of College. Joining clubs, meeting with professors for the first time, getting to know new classmates or roommates, and dealing with being away from home.
- Transition to College III: Your First Semester. Building relationships with professors, staying safe on campus, making friends and joining clubs, dealing with a bad or failing grade, connecting with the career center, asking for help when needed, and much more.
Every student deserves the chance to go after their goals. These are just a few of the resources we provide to help them on the way. Reach out at NREA@levelall.com.
