A growing set of selective colleges is moving from rural recruitment as “interest-building” to rural enrollment support with dedicated programming. Amherst College is hosting admitted students from rural areas nationwide through its STARS College Network (Small Town and Rural Students), designed to encourage enrollment at schools where rural recruiting has historically been light. The initiative draws on a $20 million investment from Byron Trott, a University of Chicago alumnus and trustee, after he found rural student representation lagged at his own alma mater. The broader aim: convert rural applicants who enroll at lower rates into students who complete. For enrollment strategists, the STARS model reflects how institutions are responding to demographic and access gaps—especially the documented disparity in the share of rural students who go straight to college compared with urban and suburban peers.