Why Academic Advising Matters
Academic advising plays an important role in shaping students’ college experiences, it’s often the main way students figure out how to navigate their institution, plan their academic path, and access the support they need. A strong advising relationship can help students make informed decisions, stay on track to graduate, and feel more confident along the way. This is especially important for students who may not already be familiar with how higher education works, as advisors often act as guides, translators, and advocates all at once. When advising works well, it’s closely tied to better retention, persistence, and overall student success.
That impact is even more significant at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), which educate large numbers of students from historically marginalized backgrounds. These students often face systemic barriers, so advising can either help level the playing field or make those gaps worse. While there’s plenty of research on supporting students of color, advising at MSIs themselves hasn’t been studied as deeply. That gap matters, because understanding how advising works in these specific contexts is key to improving systems that are meant to support the very students who rely on them most.
This study authored by Young Invincibles looks at how undergraduate students experience academic advising at MSIs, where supporting students from historically marginalized backgrounds is especially important. Using both survey data (202 students) and small-group listening sessions (22 students across the U.S.), the research explores how advising actually works in practice—what helps, what doesn’t, and how it shapes students’ ability to stay on track and succeed.
Overall, students felt advising was accessible and culturally responsive, and many said it boosted their confidence and decision-making. But they also pointed out real challenges, like understaffing, inconsistent information, and limited follow-up. The most effective advising went beyond course selection and connected academic, career, and personal support. Students made it clear that stronger investment is needed—more advisors, clearer systems, better communication, and more equity-focused training—to make advising truly meaningful and supportive.
Recommendations for Improving Advising
Out of the survey and listening sessions, important themes for how to improve advising emerged:
- Increase advising capacity by hiring more staff, redistributing workloads during peak times, and using peer advisors to handle routine questions so students can get more timely and meaningful support.
- Standardize and clarify advising processes to ensure students receive consistent, accurate information across departments and avoid unnecessary delays, extra coursework, or confusion.
- Strengthen communication and follow-up practices by setting clear expectations for response times and ongoing engagement so students feel supported beyond one-time advising meetings.
- Expand relational and culturally responsive training to ensure advisors understand and effectively support students from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.
- Integrate advising with other campus services like career centers, financial aid, and peer programs to create a more coordinated, holistic support system for students.
These findings show that when done well, academic advising can have a powerful impact on students at Minority Serving Institutions, but the challenge is creating and sustaining those conditions over time. While this report highlights practical, low-cost steps institutions can take right now, real progress will require ongoing research, conversation, and long-term commitment.
Ultimately, advancing equity at MSIs means treating advising as a critical investment, not an afterthought, and building systems that are well-resourced and grounded in students’ lived experiences.
Explore the Full Report
Interested in learning more? Read the full Who Advises the Advisors? report to explore the complete study and key insights on academic advising at Minority Serving Institutions.
This blog was written by Young Invincibles. Learn more about Young Invincibles and about their role as an ASN Partner organization.