Students from rural areas are increasingly choosing Northwestern University, supported by initiatives designed to help them access higher education opportunities. One such initiative is the Small Town and Rural Teen University Prep Innovation Intensive (START-UP), a three-day summer program for rising high school seniors, which brings students from across the country to Northwestern’s campus.
Sophia Guerrero-Gobert, a member of the Blackfeet Nation from Browning, Montana, was one of 19 students in the 2025 START-UP cohort. She said her exposure to Northwestern was transformative. “The only time I’d heard of Northwestern was in [the movie] ‘Mean Girls,’” she said.
After attending START-UP, Guerrero-Gobert now plans to enroll at Northwestern this fall. “It was so many firsts: my first flight, first time to Chicago, first kind of opening my eyes to a different school, a private top 10 school,” she said. “Once I got there, I never looked away. My whole life switched.”
The START-UP program is organized by Northwestern’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions in partnership with the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network and The Garage. The STARS College Network was established in 2023 by several institutions including Northwestern and is supported by Trott Family Philanthropies. It aims to improve college access for rural and small-town students nationwide.
Kelsey Olsen, senior assistant director of admission at Northwestern, noted that participation in STARS has contributed to a more than 30% increase in rural and small-town student populations at the university. Olsen stated: “Northwestern’s partnership with STARS is such a special piece of the work our team does every day as educators. More students in the U.S. attend rural schools than in the 100 largest school districts combined, yet data consistently shows that fewer than one in five rural Americans hold a bachelor’s degree.
“Knowing that Northwestern is actively working to reshape conversations around college in these communities is incredibly meaningful, and even more so for me given my own rural upbringing in the Missouri Ozarks.”
Olsen also credited STARS’ ongoing support for making programs like START-UP possible.
During their stay on campus, START-UP participants meet current students and staff, explore Chicago, learn about building products or businesses, and receive guidance on applications and financial aid processes.
Guerrero-Gobert described how this experience made her feel prepared: “While I was there, I got used to campus,” she said. “I made a layout in my head. This is the building I’d go to if I attended, the food court I would go to. And this is the building I’d take this class. I feel more confident, like I have connections now.”
Maggie Fitzgerald from Basalt, Colorado—another participant—said her experience helped solidify her decision as well: “I live in a very small town, and you’re just really on your own trying to navigate the whole process,” she said. “It’s just a monster if you have to do it by yourself.”
To further assist rural students like Fitzgerald and Guerrero-Gobert, Northwestern collaborates with other STARS schools on projects such as enhancing college counselor resources for rural settings. Last fall saw an event where four universities—including Northwestern—hosted dozens of rural counselors and educators across their campuses while also conducting outreach trips together into local communities.
The application for next summer’s START-UP program remains open until March 10.
