#NACACreads: Help Shape Our Upcoming Discussion

Do too many students lack a sense of control over their lives and their futures? And if so, how does that affect their postsecondary journey?

Join us on Sept. 12 for a #NACACreads discussion of The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson.

In the book, the authors argue that too many teens feel a low sense of control, and as a result feel “powerless and overwhelmed” as they make their way through school and plan for the future.

Continue reading #NACACreads: Help Shape Our Upcoming Discussion

Women’s Colleges See Yield Increases

iStock

Some women’s colleges are reporting especially high yield rates this year, according to a recent Inside Higher Ed article.

At Bryn Mawr College (PA), the percentage of applicants who accepted offers of admission went from 32 percent in 2017 to 36 percent in 2018.

Barnard College (NY), Mount Holyoke College (MA), and Smith College (MA) also saw 4-percentage-point increases in their 2018 yield figures.

Continue reading Women’s Colleges See Yield Increases

NACAC Member Sounds Off About the Importance of GPA

iStock

High school students have a lot of questions about the college admission process.

Amariyah Callender, a rising senior in the Atlanta area, decided to go straight to the source to get hers answered.

Callender interviewed NACAC member Latrina Fisher, associate director of admissions at Spelman College (GA), in a new podcast for VOXatl. She admitted to starting her senior year off with a 2.9 GPA and asked Fisher how much she needed to be stressing about the final numbers.

Continue reading NACAC Member Sounds Off About the Importance of GPA

Girl Scouts Introduce College Knowledge Badge

iStock

The Girl Scouts have introduced their first badge dedicated to college exploration.

The College Knowledge Badge — launched in July —is for scouts in grades 11 and 12.

“By showing girls how to research the admission process, financial aid, and other key factors, our College Knowledge Badge meets a specific need and addresses the life skills girls have told us they’re interested in—and that many don’t find support for outside of Girl Scouts,” according to a recent post on the organization’s blog.

Continue reading Girl Scouts Introduce College Knowledge Badge

Textbook Costs Dropping Thanks to Digital Resources

iStock

College students are paying less for class materials, thanks in part to the success of OpenStax – an organization that provides free textbooks and digital resources.

The nonprofit, started six years ago by Rice University (TX), serves more than 2.2 million students, according to a recent article in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Nearly half of all US colleges currently use the service, which offers 29 free textbooks for college and Advanced Placement classes.

And for the first time in five decades, average textbook costs are decreasing, according to recent data analyzed by the National Center of Education Statistics.

Continue reading Textbook Costs Dropping Thanks to Digital Resources

New Guaranteed Admission Program Will Offer More Choices to California’s Community College Students

iStock

Community college students in California now have even more options when planning their path to a four-year degree.

The Board of Governors that oversees the state’s community colleges approved a plan last month that offers guaranteed admission to students who take specific community college courses geared toward their intended four-year major.

Continue reading New Guaranteed Admission Program Will Offer More Choices to California’s Community College Students