Cameron Russell, left, is a freshman at the University of Michigan from rural Louisiana. His mentor is Elijah Taylor, a senior who grew up in Detroit.

Alexandra Rammacher's first impression of the University of Michigan: "There were so many people!" Michigan is among a handful of schools extending special support to rural students.

When Kendra Beaudoin first got to the University of Michigan campus, she didn't understand crosswalks: "Those don't exist where I lived."

Rebecca Goodman, a freshman, tells people she lives "near Holland" because hardly anyone at the University of Michigan has ever heard of her tiny hometown.