Monthly Archives: October 2018

College Admission, Uncategorized

Nov. 1 Eve is the New Halloween

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This post was originally published on Admitted in October 2017. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

Dear Halloween,

I miss you.

On Halloween in Denver, there is an air of anticipation as the sun settles behind the foothills. The skeletons of aspens and cottonwoods stand sentinel along neighborhood sidewalks, their scattered golden leaves soon to be decimated by the trampling of feet, wagons, and strollers. At dusk, adorable children with painted faces and pumpkin-shaped buckets begin to troll the streets.

At least, this is what I imagine happens.

It’s been years since I witnessed this tradition. I merely handle candy acquisition. My husband: distribution. While he responds to the doorbell with Pavlovian efficiency, I write recommendations and reply to my seniors’ frantic emails as they spend the last Halloween of their youth finalizing applications. Because for seniors, Oct. 31 isn’t Halloween.

It’s November 1st Eve.

Continue reading Nov. 1 Eve is the New Halloween →

Access, Transfer

University’s Commitment to Transfer Students Pays Off

Students walk to class on the University of Central Florida campus. (iStock)

Transfer students are an important part of the University of Central Florida.

In fact, in recent years, the institution has welcomed more transfer students in its incoming class than first-year freshmen — and in the process has created what some consider a national model of excellence while increasing access for underrepresented students.

“We’ve always been concerned with the success of every student, but as our numbers started to increase with transfer students, we really started to focus heavily on how we could work with our transfer population to make them as successful as possible,” said Jennifer Sumner, a UCF administrator.

Continue reading University’s Commitment to Transfer Students Pays Off →

College Admission, Transfer

Report: Structural, Motivational Barriers Undermine Community College Grad Rates

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Helping community college students select courses suited to their interests and finding ways to connect classroom lessons with the real world could help more students persist in higher education, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution.

“The key takeaways are that making it easier for students to navigate the college environment and connect their coursework to their lives can improve student outcomes,” noted report author Elizabeth Mann Levesque.

Continue reading Report: Structural, Motivational Barriers Undermine Community College Grad Rates →

Access, College Admission

ICYMI: New Research-to-Practice Brief Addresses College Access for Rural Students

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Nearly half of America’s school districts are located in rural areas, yet the unique needs of these students are too often overlooked in the college search and selection process.

While family income, parental educational attainment, and prior academic achievement all play a role in limiting college access, systemic constraints also come into play – resulting in lower rates of college attendance for rural students when compared to their urban and suburban peers.

One such barrier? Poverty due to the loss of economic opportunities.

Continue reading ICYMI: New Research-to-Practice Brief Addresses College Access for Rural Students →

College Admission, Rankings

Stanford Report: College Rankings Are Deeply Flawed

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Are the families you serve overly concerned about college selectivity?

Researchers at Challenge Success — a nonprofit organization based at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education — released a white paper this fall that calls into question the value of university rankings.

“There is no question that the college admission process can be stressful. We hope that this paper prompts students and families to examine what college success means to them and to question common assumptions about college selectivity,” the authors note in the paper’s executive summary.

Continue reading Stanford Report: College Rankings Are Deeply Flawed →

Access

Minnesota Launches Effort to Reconnect with Adult Learners

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A new pilot program is encouraging adult learners in Minnesota to restart their college careers.

MN Reconnect aims to help those with prior credits re-engage with higher education at four community colleges located throughout the state.

The goal? To increase the number of Minnesotans holding degrees by making college more accessible for adults.

Continue reading Minnesota Launches Effort to Reconnect with Adult Learners →

Access

Upcoming Webinar Addresses Race-Conscious Admission Policies

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What policies and practices are most effective when it comes to race-conscious admission? And how do recent lawsuits — including the ongoing Harvard case — affect the ability of colleges to promote diversity?

An Oct. 24 webinar hosted by the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) will address those questions and more. The two-hour program is aimed at university counsel who advise institutions, but is also open to admission professionals and others who are involved in student enrollment and retention. The webinar is presented in cooperation with NACAC.

Continue reading Upcoming Webinar Addresses Race-Conscious Admission Policies →