“You know, colleges can see that. You really should watch what you post.”
It’s a common refrain from parents and teachers throughout the college admission process, but are admission officers actually checking social media?
A new survey by Kaplan Test Prep found that just 25 percent of college admission officers check the social media accounts of prospective students, down from a high of 40 percent in 2015.
Continue reading Survey: Admission Professionals Sound Off About Social Media Checks
Many college fairs are held during the fall. They provide a great opportunity for high school students and their parents or guardians to talk with college admission representatives. At two annual college fairs I am familiar with, financial aid representatives have a booth and talk about local scholarship options. Unfortunately, their booths are not very busy while admission representatives have many students waiting to discuss admission requirements. Usually the reps whose colleges are the most competitive and have the most well-known names have the longest lines.
In many instances, top students wait in long lines for well-known colleges because they have been encouraged to apply. Student GPAs and test scores can assist with the admission process, but there is a catch. Because most of the students applying to these colleges will also have impressive academic backgrounds, the colleges may not offer a generous financial award package to each student. Every college does things differently.
Share your expertise and give back to your professional community next September in Louisville.
NACAC’s 2019 National Conference call for proposals and facilitators is open until Jan. 7 and the format for this conference will be different from years past, with a larger array of presentation types sought.
Check out the changes and submit your proposal. You can also apply to be a reviewer, a position where you’ll help determine the educational offerings selected for next year’s conference.
Continue reading #NACAC19: Call for Proposals and Facilitators is Open Through Jan. 7
Tennessee is considered a national leader when it comes to college access.
The Tennessee Promise program offers high school grads two years of free community college. Meanwhile, Tennessee Reconnect provides tuition-free avenues for adults who want to return to school or are just starting their college journey.
Yet despite the wide-array of offerings, degree attainment across the state is uneven. A new analysis of public data published by The Tennessean offers insight into some of the factors impeding wider progress.
Continue reading Tennessee Weighs Next Steps in College Completion Campaign
Though being a counselor can often be a thankless job, there is at least one person publicly singing your praises.
Jessica Lander, a teacher and author in the Boston area, recently wrote an op-ed for The Boston Globe pleading with Boston and the state of Massachusetts to understand the value of school counselors.
From not getting an FSA ID before filling out the FAFSA to forgetting to sign the form — it’s easy to make missteps when applying for federal financial aid.
But the US Department of Education wants to help students avoid the most common mistakes.
Continue reading Tips to Help Families Avoid Common FAFSA Errors
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on Admitted in July 2017. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series
After 14 years working in the admission office for my alma mater, I had it good. I coordinated the campus visit team, supervised tour guides, worked with transfer students, and held many “other duties as assigned.” In short, I knew what I was doing.
Then two years ago, I was offered an exciting new role that turned my career on its head: I became Gettysburg College’s first West Coast regional counselor.
In the past 24 months I have learned about the challenges of a three-hour time difference, work-life balance, and the importance of communication with the office. I’ve also reflected on how counselors — and campus-based leaders — can work together to make the most out of regional positions.
Here are my tips for counselors and admission leaders who are considering making the jump.
Continue reading Lessons Learned: Reflections and Advice from a Regional Admission Counselor
Declining enrollments are leading some colleges to look for new ways to boost revenue.
The Indicator, a podcast produced by NPR’s Planet Money team, recently shared a few of the more innovative approaches.
Did you know:
Did you land a new job? Receive an award? Publish a book?
Let NACAC know what you’ve been up to by filling out our survey. Member updates are published quarterly on Admitted.
An academic in Australia has one major piece of advice for students before they head to university: Take a gap year.
“School might have prepared students intellectually for a tertiary education, but there is lots school can’t prepare you for — and that’s how to deal with real people in the real world,” Jenna Price, who works at the University of Technology in Sydney, wrote in The Sydney Morning-Herald.
Though a gap year alone won’t turn a C-student into an A-student, she said there is a significant difference in the overall performance of students who’ve taken a break from formal education.
