Successful advisory programs have a number of things in common across a wide variety of schools. They all divide the student body into small groups, usually of 20 or fewer students, that meet regularly with an adult in the school community. In addition to this basic element, successful advisory programs have five other elements in common: (1) They have a commonly stated purpose that addresses essential needs in the school and guides all aspects of the program; (2) They are organized to meet that purpose; (3) Written content guidance is available for the routines and activities that take place in advisory period; (4) A plan for assessment includes gathering appropriate data for continuous improvement of the program; and (5) School leaders embrace the program so that appropriate resources are allocated to program implementation, including ongoing professional development. Far too often, there are programs that have identified a compelling need and purpose for their advisory program only to see the program fail when the other elements do not align with that need. Within each of the five key elements there are pitfalls that derail many advisory programs. This article describes Granger High School's advisory program, which provides great examples of how those elements are aligned and the powerful improvements for the entire school that came about as a result.