The Uneven Path: A System-Wide Scan of Pre-Professional Advising in SUNY
Journal Title
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Issue Date
2026-04-17
Authors
Rogers, Benjamin
Pal, Bilas
Williamson, Benjamin
Student Life Committee, Subcommittee on Student Success, SUNY University Faculty Senate
Publisher
Keywords
Advising, Pre-Professional Advising
Abstract
This white paper reports findings from a SUNY-wide survey on how campuses organize and deliver advising for three pathways that routinely require specialized support: pre-law, pre-health, and pre-graduate.
Description
This white paper reports findings from a SUNY-wide survey on how campuses organize and deliver advising for three pathways that routinely require specialized support: pre-law, pre-health, and pre-graduate. The survey received 36 complete submissions representing 22 institutions.
Three patterns stand out. First, responsibility for pre-professional advising is unevenly structured across campuses. No single oversight model dominates any track, and at least one respondent in each track reported that no formal advising structure exists. Second, capacity constraints are persistent. Funding and workload limit professional development participation and, in many cases, make it difficult to sustain consistent practice. Third, core supports such as 1:1 advising and writing assistance are widely available, but higher-impact services such as test preparation, interview coaching, and funding for preparation activities are inconsistent. Test preparation is the clearest gap, especially in pre-law and pre-graduate advising, and funding for student preparation is similarly uneven.
In response, we propose three actions to strengthen coordinated support for SUNY’s pre-professional and pre-graduate student population: a systemwide pre-professional advising network with a standing work group, a centralized fund to support advisor conference participation, and a system-level partnership to expand student access to test preparation resources.