Access

Michelle Obama Celebrates College Signing Day in Philadelphia

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Getting into college is just the beginning, former First Lady Michelle Obama told a group of Philadelphia students Wednesday.

The next step? Having the courage to make connections and ask for help.

“Some of you may be the first or only people from your family or your community to even take this step — and that might feel a little scary,” Obama told the teens, who were gathered to celebrate College Signing Day. “…But when you hit those roadblocks, when you have trouble in that class, when you feel like you’re falling behind — you have to ask for help.”

No one, she said, gets through college on their own.

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College Completion, College Readiness

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

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

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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

Students: Share Your College Admission Story with The New York Times

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What got you through the admission process this year? How many hours did you devote to college search and selection? And how much money did you spend?

Those are just some of the questions reporters at The New York Times are asking college-bound students and their families. Anyone over 13 can complete a short questionnaire open now on the paper’s website.

Continue reading Students: Share Your College Admission Story with The New York Times →

Access, Transfer

Survey: Community Colleges Seek to Increase Transfer Options

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Three-quarters of community college presidents report that their institutions are adding new programs or other options to make it easier for students to transfer to four-year universities, according to a new report from Inside Higher Ed and Gallup.

The additions are an attempt to recruit more students and better serve those already enrolled at two-year institutions, survey data from community college presidents shows.

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Access, NACAC News

#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?

Continue reading #NACACreads: Join Our Next Chat →

College Admission Resources

Free Webinar Examines the College Soccer Recruiting Process

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The student-athlete’s path to college is unique and requires hard work on and off the field.

This was the message of “Making Sense of College Soccer Recruiting,” a free webinar recently hosted by Soccer Chaplains United.

Jennifer “J.T.” Thomas, a college counselor at Maybeck High School in California and a frequent speaker on this topic at NACAC conferences, kicked off the webinar with a reality check.

“Not everyone gets a full ride…especially in soccer,” Thomas stressed. “If you’re after the money, you’re looking in the wrong direction.”

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NACAC News, NACAC Video, National College Fairs

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.

Continue reading New Videos Help Students Prepare for National College Fairs →

Access, College Admission, NACAC News

#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.”

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

Regular updates on NACAC and the world of college admission counseling. For more information about NACAC, visit nacacnet.org.