A mobile-friendly version of the FAFSA website went live this week, the first step in a months-long process aimed at making it possible for students to apply for financial aid using their smartphones.
A beta version of a companion app — myStudentAid — is planned for next month, with the complete version available Oct. 1.
Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in December 2016. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.
School districts may be able to boost college-going rates by changing the way they introduce students to the application process, according to a recent piece published by the Harvard Business Review.
Too often, the conversation is focused on ensuring students submit an application to at least one college, writes researcher Lindsay Page. But when teens apply to a range of institutions “they are more likely to get accepted to an institution that is a good fit,” she notes.
Continue reading School Districts Can Help Students Adopt New Attitudes About Admission Process
What’s one thing this year’s high school grads would do differently if they had the chance to go back in time?
According to a new survey from Seventeen magazine and the College Board, a whopping 68 percent of students said they wish they had spent less time worrying during the college application process.
Continue reading Application Stress? Recent Grads Wish They Had Worried Less
Do you work with students who feel pressured by their families to add out-of-reach schools to their college lists?
NACAC member Beth Slattery has some insight that may be helpful to share with parents. Her advice? Ask moms and dads to consider what their suggestions signal to students.
“I don’t believe parents are intentionally trying to send the message that they are disappointed in their child when they suggest out-of-reach colleges. Most of them believe they are expressing confidence in their child’s ability, but that isn’t how the child hears it,” Slattery wrote in a recent post published on the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS) Admit All blog. “The student hears that the parent is disappointed in the colleges that they can get into. The student hears that the parent wishes they were the kind of applicant who had a shot at that type of school.”
Continue reading Realistic College Lists: Helping Parents See the Light
Many students with disabilities can graduate from high school and go on to college, yet an investigation by The Hechinger Report reveals that a disproportionate number of young people on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) suffer from low expectations when it comes to postsecondary planning.
“Interviews with more than 100 parents, students, advocates, and experts across the country painted a picture of a special education landscape where transition planning and services are largely neglected,” reporters Sarah Butrymowicz and Jackie Mader wrote in an article published late last year. “Students with disabilities who could pursue higher education or meaningful employment are instead living at home and working low-wage jobs.”
Others are unemployed or pushed into professions that don’t match their interests.
Continue reading Report: Bar Set Too Low for Students with Disabilities
It may be summertime, but the search process continues for college-bound teens.
From visiting campuses to taking time to reflect on academic interests, the summer months provide an opportunity for students to refine their college lists.
Three NACAC members recently shared their insights into the process at a Bates College (ME) alumni event.
Continue reading NACAC Members Offer Advice to College-Bound Students
We all know the cycle. Unpredictable admission yields put pressure on earlier communication and a push to apply earlier and earlier. This drives up anxiety for students concerned about checking all the boxes ASAP, causing a greater focus on the Big Four—rigorous classes, leadership, athletics, and community service. More academic rigor means that it is harder to miss class, so fewer students attend on-site high school admission sessions. With less student contact, more stealth candidates are in play and yields are unpredictable. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love trends. This was a trend that scared me. Seeing fewer and fewer students attending the college admission representative visits increased my concern about this critical part of the college admission process. What if this wasn’t just happening at my school, but at schools across the country? Would admission directors make a cost-benefit argument that the high school visit was a dinosaur? Would they stop coming?
Did you miss this week’s webinar on the new ACT/SAT concordance tables?
The hour-long program is now available on demand on NACAC’s website. Association members can access the content free of charge.
Continue reading ICYMI: Webinar on ACT/SAT Concordance Tables Available On-Demand
It’s well-documented that investing in a college education pays dividends over a lifetime.
But with tuition and fees rising faster than family incomes, figuring out the best path to a degree is easier said than done.
New guidance from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce seeks to take out some of the guesswork by outlining five (sometimes contradictory) rules for students to follow as they make decisions about their future.
Continue reading New Report Offers 5 Rules for College-Bound Students
Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in July 2015.
Preparing to send your students off to college?
Upperclassmen and recent graduates from around the world offered their advice to incoming freshmen in a New York Times piece.
The tips range from pragmatic (“always take advantage of free food”) to philosophical (“be willing to learn as you go”).
In all, the story includes advice from 24 students. Tips on finding friends, conquering college coursework and taking care of your physical and mental health are included.
Continue reading Upperclassmen Offer Tips to Incoming Freshmen
