FAQs

Please visit our About page for more information about the populations we serve.

The STORY Consortium and the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network share a similar goal of increasing access to higher education for students from rural and small-town communities. Both groups host in-person and virtual events to carry out this mission. STORY institutions may change from year to year or between in-person stops, and they do not receive funding related to STORY. STARS members are a set group of institutions funded by the Trott Family Philanthropies for rural-based initiatives.

You can get involved in STORY by attending virtual or in-person events. If you aren’t able to attend an event but want to receive information from STORY partner institutions, then please complete our Request for Information form.

No, there is no charge to attend a STORY in-person or virtual event.

STORY uses your email to share updates and reminders about events and also shares your information with STORY institutions so that they can reach out regarding upcoming opportunities and school-specific information. Registering for an event means that you may receive additional communications from STORY institutions in the future.

Each STORY event’s registration page will show a list of participating institutions.

Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. You can register in advance by visiting our Events page. Registration is also available on-site for in-person STORY events.

Each in-person STORY event will begin with a 30-minute information session that shares general details about the college admissions and financial aid application processes. After the information session, 25-30 institutions will offer a college fair for 60-90 minutes. Each school will have a table with an admissions representative present to answer your questions about their institution.

No, we understand that your schedule is busy, and our primary goal is to share information with you. You can attend the information session, the college fair, or all of the programming — whatever is most helpful for you.

There is no dress code for STORY. Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, whether that’s your sports uniform, jeans, or anything else!

STORY is intended for anyone interested in learning more about the college admissions process in general. High school students may find it the most useful, but we encourage parents, caregivers, teachers, school administrators or school counselors to attend as well. Younger siblings or other interested students who wish to learn more about the colleges and universities in attendance are also welcome!

No materials are required to attend STORY, but some attendees find it useful to bring a small notebook to take notes, a bag to hold college fair materials, and a list of questions to ask of the colleges in attendance.

No, there are a broad range of four-year colleges and universities present at STORY events — each with their own criteria for admission. Colleges will range from public to private institutions, from large to small schools, and will vary in selectivity.

Following each event, registrants will receive an email that includes the contact information of every college in attendance.

Virtual STORY events are typically held once a month, but this may vary depending on the time of year. You can register for our virtual events on the Events page.

Anyone! Similar to our in-person events, STORY virtual events are intended for anyone interested in learning more about the college admissions process. While our intention is to reach students and their support systems from small-town and rural communities, our virtual events are open to all who register.

Yes. In order to receive information regarding the event, including the Zoom link, you will need to register ahead of time.