National college completion rates have increased for the third consecutive year, according to a new report.
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has been tracking this data for the past six years and the latest numbers are an all-time high. According to the report, the overall national six-year completion rate increased by 1.5 percentage points this year, reaching 58.3 percent.
Continue reading Report: College Completion Rates on the Rise
The Gap Year Association recently named February as “Gap Year Exploration Month,” an event designed to give attention to the options available to students who don’t want to jump right into college.
“Gap Year Exploration Month seeks to empower students to understand the vast array of opportunities available for gap time and research paths that are right for them,” the association wrote in a blog post.
“Behind this initiative is a passionate group of educators, program providers and others who want to help promote the benefits of gap time.”
Continue reading February Declared Gap Year Exploration Month
Despite stigmas that often surround community colleges, a new report from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation found that graduation rates of community college transfer students meet or exceed those of students who enroll at selective institutions as first-time freshman.
Community college transfer students also graduate at higher rates than students who transfer from other four-year colleges, according to the report.
More than 35,000 community college students transfer to selective colleges and universities each year and 75 percent of them graduate within six years. About 73 percent of students entering selective universities straight from high school graduate in that time frame, along with 61 percent of students who transfer from another four-year institution.
On average, community college transfer students earn their degree within two and a half years.
Read the full report and check out NACAC’s recent report on school counselors and community college options.
Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.
Is your college application essay about money, work, social class, or another related topic?
If so, The New York Times wants to hear from you.
Continue reading Students: The New York Times Wants to Publish Your College Essay
The college admission lexicon really can be the language of love.
Enjoy these valentines from us to you. Save them and share them with the colleagues you care about.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
The 2019 Advocacy Meeting is just a couple weeks away and Government Relations Committee member Alyson Tom has all your questions covered.
During a Facebook Live conversation Wednesday, Tom discussed her advocacy background, the issues that matter most to her, and the upcoming Advocacy Meeting.
Tom experienced her first Advocacy Meeting at the national level last year and she offered some advice for newcomers.
“I could certainly understand if someone has never done anything like this before that it could be intimidating or a little scary to talk to these people you’ve seen on TV and read about in the news. My advice for new people is just remember you are the expert in the field. You know more about your job than anybody else. Even if they think they know what your job is, you know your job. That’s the key point to remember,” Tom said.
Continue reading Facebook Live: Get Involved at the 2019 Advocacy Meeting
Get in on our Valentine’s Day sales, running now until the end of February.
Re-live your amazing experience in Salt Lake City and get a free NACAC teddy bear with any purchase of 2018 National Conference gear.
Share the love with NACAC’s two-for-one drink special. Buy a Moscow mule mug or a campfire mug and get one free.
Cuddle up this Valentine’s Day. NACAC teddy bears, without the purchase of Salt Lake City gear, are half price with the code: SWEETHEART19.
Shop and enjoy because NACAC loves you BEAR-y much!
Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.
Whether you are a first-time attendee, advocacy vet, or just an interested party, we want to make sure all your questions about the 2019 Advocacy Meeting are answered.
We’ll be broadcasting via Facebook Live on Wednesday with Government Relations Committee member Alyson Tom. Tune in at noon ET to learn more about this year’s Advocacy Meeting, hear advice for first-time attendees, and more.
You can watch the full conversation live on NACAC’s Facebook page.
Have questions about the Advocacy Meeting or for Tom? Ask them during the Live using the video’s comment section or submit them ahead of time via email.
Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.
Congratulations to NACAC member Brian Coleman, the 2019 School Counselor of the Year.
The American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) School Counselor of the Year award “honors professionals who devote their careers to advocating for the nation’s students and addressing their academic and social/emotional development and college and career readiness needs.”
Coleman, a school counselor and counseling department chair at Jones College Prep in Chicago, IL, has worked to make sure his school takes a holistic approach to counseling.
“As a school with college in our name, there tends to be a great deal of focus and energy placed exclusively on students’ college and postsecondary planning processes,” Coleman told ASCA. “However, we have worked to create a broader awareness that students’ holistic well-being is just as important to their current and future successes.”
Coleman was honored by Jill Biden at a ceremony Friday in Washington, DC.
“It can be so hard to be a teenager. We’ve all been there. It can be so hard to know where you fit in and where you fit in to your community, especially as you plan your future. But Brian gives his students confidence in their abilities. He helps them find the best in themselves, and he pushes them to reach higher,” Biden said.
“He represents the best of this profession, but he’s certainly not alone.”
Learn more about Coleman and watch a livestream from the SCOY award ceremony.
Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.
During a Facebook Live broadcast Thursday afternoon, EducationUSA Branch Chief Fred Boll discussed the message he wants the United States to send to students across the globe.
“The State Department and EducationUSA are focused on sending a clear and positive message to students all around the world that you are welcome in the United States. We want all qualified students to come study in the United States. We have an unparalleled diversity of institutions, opportunities…There are experiences students will have here that they will simply not get anywhere else,” Boll said.
Continue reading Facebook Live: International Students Need to Feel Welcome