Teenagers are stressed. And pressured. And anxious. And overwhelmed.
According to a recent study, 45 percent of teenagers in the US are stressed “all the time.” And though anxiety levels have risen in teens across all backgrounds, it has risen more among teens in affluent areas.
In an essay for Philly magazine, Tom McGrath explores the idea that “it’s the kids with the seemingly endless opportunities who are most anxious about their futures.”
The number of colleges still accepting applications for Fall 2019 continues to grow.
More than 500 institutions have openings, financial aid, and housing available to qualified freshmen and/or transfer students, according to NACAC’s College Openings Update.
When survey data was first posted on May 3, the list included just over 400 colleges and universities. Since that time, dozens of additional institutions have added their information. The update, which includes public and private schools, continues to be modified by colleges and universities.
Continue reading Spots Still Available for Students at Over 500 Colleges
Campus visits can often seem out of reach for low-income or marginalized student populations.
But one high school senior has made it her mission to get students like her to see the campuses of selective universities firsthand.
Leila Champion, a senior at Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School (IN), launched The Champion Project this year. The Champion Project, which also served as her senior capstone project, aimed to show her fellow classmates that they too could go to their dream schools.
Continue reading High School Senior Aims to Close Race Gap at Selective Universities
“Free college” programs eliminate one of the biggest barriers to a college degree, but for adults returning to school, tuition isn’t the only stressor.
About 13,000 adults enrolled last fall in Tennessee Reconnect, a state program that gives free community college tuition to people over age 25 who haven’t yet earned a college degree.
Mike Krause, head of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission that oversees Tennessee Reconnect, told NPR they need to do more to prevent students from dropping out because their reasons for leaving school aren’t always financial.
Continue reading Adults Returning to College Face Barriers Beyond Tuition Cost
In the wake of the recent bribery scandal, Americans want to see change in the college admission process.
But many of the changes they want to see are already common practice.
According to recent surveys conducted by the Higher Education Analytics Center at NORC and the AP-NORC Center, only 38 percent of Americans consider the admission process to be fair and most survey respondents want to see colleges value academics over other factors.
Continue reading Survey: Only 38 Percent of Americans Believe the College Admission Process is Fair
Beyoncé and Jay-Z have become two of the world’s best ambassadors for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
In 2018, Beyoncé became the first black woman to headline Coachella and she used the opportunity to take concertgoers – and those watching at home – to school, celebrating HBCUs on the main stage.
Waiting in the Lexington, KY airport terminal for my flight home from the Rural College Access and Success Summit, I can’t help but reflect on the past few days meeting educators dedicated to rural issues.
I was heartened by the work of GEAR UP advisors from multiple states encouraging college aspirations among rural middle schoolers, but I was also reminded of the challenges our most remote counselors and students face, be it transportation issues, lack of curricular options, fewer students going on to college, or retention of teachers. For sure, unique barriers in rural spaces persist, and we must tackle them head-on.
Continue reading SIG Focus: Rural and Small Town Special Interest Group
Nearly all roads leading toward improving schools and student outcomes require investment, especially for disadvantaged and low-income students.
The newly released School Finance Indicators Database School Year 2015-2016 report shows that states vary widely in their distribution of educational resources.
“Resources in most states tend to be allocated non-progressively or even regressively, that is, higher-poverty districts do not receive more funds — and in some cases receive substantially less — than do lower-poverty districts, even controlling for factors that affect costs, such as regional wage variation, district size, and population density,” the report finds.
Continue reading Report: State School Finance Systems Underfund Highest Poverty School Districts
NACAC CEO Joyce E. Smith plans to retire after 30 years of service to the association and more than 40 years in the college admission profession.
Smith will step down in summer 2020 upon successful appointment of NACAC’s next CEO.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on Admitted in May 2018. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series and in celebration of National Teacher Appreciation Week. Teacher Appreciation Day is May 7 and Appreciation Week runs through Friday, May 10.
We hear about all the great teachers in the counseling office. The one who set the times tables to the tune of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” ensuring kids will remember them forever, even if it will take a while to get to eight times nine. Mr. Jones, the history teacher who dressed up like Benjamin Franklin for an entire week and never once broke character. The 10th grade English teacher who finally explained “i after e” in a way that made sense. When you put that much thought into a lesson, it makes for memorable teaching.
