Category Archives: College Admission

College Admission

Study: March Madness Victors See Boost in Applications

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Villanova Men’s Basketball Twitter

Call it the March Madness effect.

New research confirms what college admission officials have been saying for years: Impressive performances by student-athletes can spur increases in freshman applications.

“Research by Devin and Jaren Pope, two economists, has found that colleges whose men’s basketball teams qualified for March Madness, the sport’s championship tournament, saw a 2.4 percent average increase in the total number of applications, as measured by the number of SAT college-entrance exam results received,” according to a recent article published by The Economist. “Colleges whose teams made the Final Four saw a 5.8 percent increase in applications, while colleges whose teams won the entire tournament saw a 10.9 percent increase in applications in the year after their victory.”

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College Admission

Join Us for a Facebook Live Q&A about College Signing Day

College Decision Day — the deadline at many institutions for students to accept an offer of admission and make a tuition deposit – is coming up on May 1 and we want to celebrate with you!

For the fifth year, the Reach Higher and Better Make Room initiatives are encouraging schools and communities to host College Signing Day events in recognition of students’ hard work and achievements.

Tune in Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET to find out more about the College Signing Day tradition, how you can secure grant money for your school’s celebration, and more.

Continue reading Join Us for a Facebook Live Q&A about College Signing Day →

Career Exploration, College Admission, College Readiness

Occupational Outlook Handbook Helps Students Explore Careers

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iStock photo

Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in December 2015. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

For Gail Grand’s students, the college search process is about more than just picking a campus.

Teens complete an aptitude and interest test and explore careers before ever submitting applications. The strategy is a smart one.

Fewer than four in 10 college students graduate in four years, federal data show. And as tuition rates continue to grow, extra years in school can often mean additional debt.

Tapping into resources like the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) helps teens make wise college choices, said Grand, an independent college counselor based in California’s Westlake Village. It also increases students’ likelihood of graduating on time, she noted.

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College Admission, Importance of School Counselors

Student-to-Counselor Ratios: Watch Our Facebook Live Q&A

The ideal student-to-counselor ratio is 250-to-1, yet the average school counselor currently serves a caseload that is nearly twice that size.

What are the implications for students and for the profession? Experts from NACAC and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) addressed that question today during a Facebook Live Q&A.

“Student outcomes are better with the 250-to-1 ratio,” Jill Cook, ASCA’s assistant director noted during the chat. “Attendance is better, achievement is better, graduation rates (are better).”

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College Admission

Grants Available to Fund College Signing Day Events

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Decision Day is just a few weeks away for hundreds of thousands of college-bound high school seniors.

May 1—also called National College Decision Day—is the deadline for students to accept an offer of admission and make a tuition deposit at many institutions.

And for the fifth year, Reach Higher—in coordination with Better Make Room—is encouraging schools and communities to host College Signing Day events in recognition of their students’ hard work.

Continue reading Grants Available to Fund College Signing Day Events →

College Admission

Learn More About Student Activism and the Admission Process

Should student activism influence college admission decisions?

Tune into Admissions Live today at 11 a.m. ET to learn how colleges are responding to student disciplinary actions stemming from political protests.

Host Adam Castro will be joined by NACAC President-Elect Stefanie Niles and Eric Hoover, a senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Continue reading Learn More About Student Activism and the Admission Process →

Access, College Admission, NACAC News

#NACACreads: Join Our Next Discussion

From identifying right-fit schools to securing financial aid and selecting classes — success in higher education is intrinsically linked to a student’s ability to make informed decisions about their future and follow through on their plans.

Discuss new ways to help students navigate this critical process during an April 18 #NACACreads chat with Benjamin Castleman, author of The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messages and Other Behavioral Strategies Can Improve Education.

Continue reading #NACACreads: Join Our Next Discussion →