The volume of minority students entering colleges and universities will increase significantly over the next thirty-five years. Many of these students are statistically under-prepared both academically and socially for the higher education environment. To meet the needs of current and future minority students, particularly those from African American and Hispanic cultures, advisors will need to understand the unique challenges for this population and tailor strategic interventions to help these students to be successful in their academic careers and beyond. This paper reviews current statistics, literature, and research to establish the need for specialized advising for minorities as well as offers strategic initiatives for advisors in specific areas of concentration that include: social support, family support, mentoring, student involvement, and multicultural competency.