All posts by Mary Stegmeir

Admitted writer/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at mstegmeir@nacacnet.org.

#NACACreads: Join Our Next Chat

There’s a reason it’s a classic.

Parents, educators, and others have turned to Beverly Daniel Tatum’s bestselling book for over two decades to better understand the dynamics of race in America. Those conversations continue to be critically important today, so on June 11 #NACACreads will discuss the new edition of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

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New Videos Help Students Prepare for National College Fairs

Will your students be attending a National College Fair this spring?

A series of new videos from NACAC can help them make the most out of the experience. Featuring admission staff from Southern Methodist University (TX), the videos include tips to help students prepare for the fair, make the most of their time on-site, and follow-up with colleges after the fair.

A Spanish-language video covering the same topics is also available.

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#NACACreads: Using Text Messages to Nudge College-Bound Students

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Looking for ways to increase access and success in higher ed?

Using new technologies to provide personalized support and timely information can help students get to and through college, author Benjamin Castleman noted during a Wednesday #NACACreads Twitter chat.

“We know that students face complex and consequential decisions all along the road to and through college,” Castleman tweeted during a discussion of his book, The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messaging and Other Behavioral Strategies Can Improve Education. “These choices range from HS juniors/seniors choosing which of the thousands of colleges in the country are a good fit for their (postsecondary) goals, to advanced college students (identifying) financial resources they can access to get through the last mile of college.”

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Counselor: Financial Aid Process Burdens Low-Income Students

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Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in March 2016. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

Getting into college is only half the battle for teens living in poverty.

To prove eligibility for financial aid, many colleges ask low-income students to submit a mountain of paperwork — going beyond what is required of their middle- and upper-income peers, NACAC member Joshua Steckel wrote in a 2016 opinion column published by The Boston Globe.

The process is burdensome, he noted. Worst of all, it can discourage talented students from accessing the financial support they need to attend college.

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#NACACreads: Join Tomorrow’s Discussion

From identifying right-fit schools to securing financial aid and selecting classes — success in higher education is intrinsically linked to a student’s ability to make informed decisions about their future and follow through on their plans.

Discuss new ways to help students navigate this critical process Wednesday during a #NACACreads discussion with Benjamin Castleman, author of The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messaging and Other Behavioral Strategies Can Improve EducationThe chat kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on Twitter.

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Recruiter Life: Watch Our Facebook Live Q&A

Bree Blades, an admissions officer from the University of California San Diego; Milan Thomas, an admissions advisor with Ohio University; and Ryan Smith, an international recruitment manager at Bath Spa University in the UK discussed their favorite parts of the job and shared advice this morning during a Facebook Live Q&A at  NACAC’s National College Fair in Prince George’s County (MD).

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#EMchat Creates Reference Book for Enrollment Management Professionals

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A new online resource is now available for enrollment management professionals.

The #EMchat Reference Book — which includes industry terminology, as well as links to relevant news sources, podcasts, listservs, and newsletters — is a project developed by EMchat, an online community of higher education enrollment management professionals.

Creators say the crowdsourced resource is an attempt to concentrate and share industry knowledge.

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Imagine Grant Supports Camp College Program

Camp College organizers and members of MACAC’s Inclusion, Access, and Success Committee  work together each year to support students. (MACAC photo)

It takes more than good grades and big dreams to get into college.

Students — especially those who are among the first in their families to pursue higher education — also need confidence as they approach the college search and selection process.

Camp College, an annual program offered each spring by the Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC), is designed with the latter goal in mind. The day-long camp helps underserved students plan for higher education and think through the steps needed to apply to colleges and seek out financial aid.

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