Category Archives: College Readiness

Summer Camp Helps Special Needs Students Prepare for College

May 18, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

Adjusting to campus life can be tough for any student.

But for teens with Asperger’s syndrome and high-functioning individuals with autism, making the transition to college can be especially challenging.

The University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire is attempting to help such students succeed by preparing them for the stressors they will face as undergrads. The university, a NACAC member institution, holds a week-long residential summer camp to help high school juniors and seniors get ready for college. 2018 marks the 10th year it has offered the camp.

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Access, College Readiness

Survey: Majority of LGBTQ Youth Face Negative School Environments

May 17, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

The majority of LGBTQ youth experience negative and even hostile school environments, according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign.

The advocacy group surveyed roughly 12,000 students between the ages of 13 and 17 who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, and found that 70 percent had been bullied at school because of their sexual orientation.

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College Completion, College Readiness

Now Available: ‘Nudges, Norms, and New Solutions’

May 2, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

Interested in using behavioral science to help more students get to and through college?

A new guide— Nudges, Norms, and New Solutions —is now available for educators as they develop strategies to assist college-bound students. A Nudge Hotline has also been established to help counselors and others customize the guide’s advice for the communities they serve.

Both the guide and the hotline are free and were developed through a collaboration between the Nudge4 Solutions Lab at the University of Virginia and ideas42, a nonprofit that applies behavioral science to today’s toughest social problems.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative is a project partner. Topics covered in the guide include access to college, student finances, and college life and academics.

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College Readiness

Report: Racial Disparities Persist in School Discipline

May 1, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

New data show that racial disparities persist in school discipline, despite efforts to reduce the imbalance.

Federal statistics from the 2015-16 school year demonstrate that black students, along with Hispanic males and American Indians, face greater rates of suspension, expulsion, and arrest than their white classmates.

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College Admission, College Readiness, Rankings

3 Ways to Make the Most out of College

April 26, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in December 2017. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

Feeling stressed about the college application process? Take heart.

“There are plenty of great schools in this country, and what matters much more than how they are ranked is how you make use of their resources,” Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University (CT), writes in a recent column published by The Washington Post.

He continues: “When I talk to seniors and recent graduates from schools of all kinds and in various parts of the country, I find that it matters little how difficult it was to get admitted to that school and that it matters a great deal how hard they worked while attending it.”

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Access, College Admission, College Readiness, Featured

Imagine Grant Supports Camp College Program

April 10, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

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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Career Exploration, College Admission, College Readiness

Occupational Outlook Handbook Helps Students Explore Careers

March 20, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in December 2015. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

For Gail Grand’s students, the college search process is about more than just picking a campus.

Teens complete an aptitude and interest test and explore careers before ever submitting applications. The strategy is a smart one.

Fewer than four in 10 college students graduate in four years, federal data show. And as tuition rates continue to grow, extra years in school can often mean additional debt.

Tapping into resources like the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) helps teens make wise college choices, said Grand, an independent college counselor based in California’s Westlake Village. It also increases students’ likelihood of graduating on time, she noted.

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College Readiness, STEM

Few Students Take Physics in High School

March 15, 2018 Mary Stegmeir 1 Comment

Despite a push to increase interest in STEM careers, many high school students aren’t getting the classes they need to be successful in a STEM major.

A recent article from The Hechinger Report examined the disconnect, noting that just 39 percent of high school grads in 2013 took a single physics class.

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Access, College Readiness

First-Gen Students Less Likely to Access Rigorous Coursework in High School

February 22, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

The challenges faced by first-generation college students are well-documented, and according to new data, some of those hurdles begin to crop up in high school.

A research brief from the National Center for Education Statistics found that students whose parents did not go to college were less likely to enroll in challenging high school courses than their peers.

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Academic Performance, College Readiness

Stop the Spread of Math Anxiety

January 31, 2018 Mary Stegmeir Leave a comment

Educators have long-known that math anxiety can affect student performance, but the underlying source of that apprehension may surprise you.

“Math anxiety can develop in the very early grades, often because of the negative messages about math that children pick up from the adults in their lives,” according to Karyn Lewis, a senior researcher at Education Northwest. “…Research shows that teachers unintentionally transmit their own attitudes about math to their students. This means teachers who have math anxiety can pass it on to their students, which can impact students’ math performance.”

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