All posts by Mary Stegmeir

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

Year in Review: ‘Admissions Live’ Will Examine the Top Trends of 2017

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What a year it’s been!

Review the highs, the lows, and everything in-between Monday during a special year-end episode of Admissions Live.

Host Adam Castro will be joined by Eric Hoover, a senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education; and Jon Boeckenstedt, associate vice president of enrollment management and marketing at DePaul University (IL). Together, they’ll identify the topics that got professionals talking this year and discuss how those trends will impact the field in the future.

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ICYMI: NACAC Opposes HEA Reauthorization Legislation

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Congress has signaled it’s ready to tackle reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), but a bill introduced last week in the US House of Representatives has NACAC and other education organizations concerned.

“While NACAC agrees that the HEA needs to be reauthorized, this bill goes about it in the wrong way,” Michael Rose, NACAC’s director for government relations noted in a press release. “After an initial review, it is clear this bill reduces or eliminates student protections against fraud and abuse, and further dilutes the federal contribution to improving access to postsecondary education.”

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Help Shape the Upcoming #NACACreads Discussion

Can you believe it’s already December? That means our next #NACACreads book chat is just a month away.

On Jan. 9, we’ll discuss My (Underground) American Dream with author Julissa Arce.

An estimated 65,000 undocumented immigrants graduate from US high schools each year. In 2001, Arce was one of those students.

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Counselor Organizes ‘Instant Admission’ College Fair

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Could an early offer of admission encourage more minority students to pursue postsecondary education?

A Maryland counselor put that idea to the test this fall by organizing an “instant admission college fair.”

The event, held last month, drew students from 20 Baltimore County high schools and featured admission representatives from 15 historically black colleges and universities.

High school seniors — armed with their transcripts, test scores, and optional writing samples and recommendation letters — met with college reps and received admission decisions on-site. By the end of the day, more than 950 acceptances had been extended to students.

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Study: Grant Aid Most Effective When Aimed at Poor Students

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Grant programs for low-income students yield greater returns than assistance efforts aimed at students from higher-income families, new data suggests.

A working paper published this month by the Upjohn Institute found that Pell Grant recipients at four-year colleges in Texas saw improved academic and economic outcomes.

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Survey: Most Americans Support Postsecondary Education

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Most Americans believe postsecondary education remains a valuable commodity for today’s young people, according to results from a new national survey.

“The vast majority of Americans (86 percent) feel that higher education after high school enhances job prospects,” according to a new report from Civis Analytics. “Most (89 percent) also think high school students should pursue an education program after graduation from high school.”

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Study: Nearly 20% of Master’s Degree Earners Attended a Community College

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Nearly one out of every five students who earned a master’s degree last year initially entered higher education through a community college, according to data released this month by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

In addition, 11 percent of graduates from doctoral-research programs started out at a two-year school.

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Report: Grant Aid Fails to Keep Up with Rising College Costs  

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The net price of attending college continued to rise in 2017-18, while growth in grant aid slowed, national data shows.

The findings are highlighted in two reports — Trends in Student Aid and Trends in College Pricing — released last month by The College Board.

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