Category Archives: National College Fairs

Closing the STEM Gender Gap

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Boys and girls enroll in advanced math and sciences classes at equal rates as they move into high school. But a gender gap appears as they get closer to college, with boys enrolling in more advanced STEM courses than girls, according to a recent Edutopia article.

“This gap widens the longer girls are in school and is often compounded by issues of race and class,” according to Carly Berwick, a journalist and English teacher at a STEM magnet school in New Jersey.

The good news? Educators can help close the gap.

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Survey: Gen Z Students Focused on Tech Jobs

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Editor’s note: A version of this post originally appeared on Admitted in January 2016. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

The next crop of college students is more likely than past generations to seek careers in the tech field, according to a report by Barnes & Noble College.

The finding is illuminating, particularly when paired with supporting national survey data that suggests today’s middle and high school students view college — and careers — in a markedly different manner than millennials.

“More than 40 percent of Gen Z respondents seek careers that suit their specific interests, and tend to envision careers in technology, such as computer science and video game development,” according to report.

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New Videos Help Students Prepare for National College Fairs

Will your students be attending a National College Fair this spring?

A series of new videos from NACAC can help them make the most out of the experience. Featuring admission staff from Southern Methodist University (TX), the videos include tips to help students prepare for the fair, make the most of their time on-site, and follow-up with colleges after the fair.

A Spanish-language video covering the same topics is also available.

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Recruiter Life: Watch Our Facebook Live Q&A

Bree Blades, an admissions officer from the University of California San Diego; Milan Thomas, an admissions advisor with Ohio University; and Ryan Smith, an international recruitment manager at Bath Spa University in the UK discussed their favorite parts of the job and shared advice this morning during a Facebook Live Q&A at  NACAC’s National College Fair in Prince George’s County (MD).

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Join Us for a Facebook Q&A about Recruiter Life

College admission officers have a unique job, one that only your fellow admission colleagues can fully understand.

Tune in Friday at 8:45 a.m. ET to discuss life on the road, dissect the challenges recruiters face, and get advice from those in the know.

We’ll be broadcasting live from the Prince George’s County National College Fair with Bree Blades, an admissions officer from the University of California San Diego; Milan Thomas, an admissions advisor with Ohio University; and Ryan Smith, an international recruitment manager at Bath Spa University in the UK.

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Help Your Students Prepare for National College Fairs

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

All hail the humble highlighter.

Neon markers are a vital part of Dana Lambert’s efforts to help students make the most of their National College Fair experience.

“I make them come in with a plan,” said Lambert, a counselor at West Milford Township High School in New Jersey. “Once the list of fair exhibitors comes out, we have them sit down and highlight the schools and the tables that they want to stop at.”

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Program Spotlight: NACAC Fairs Introduce Young Women to STEM Fields

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Women’s Equality Day, which will be celebrated Saturday, commemorates the day the 19th Amendment was certified to the Constitution in 1920.

The amendment granted women the right to vote, but the observance of Women’s Equality Day is not just about celebrating how far we’ve come. It’s about recognizing continuing efforts toward full equality of the genders.

American women are still underrepresented in many professions, including the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

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Sylvia Karpf Celebrates 30 Years with NACAC

Sylvia Karpf

Sylvia Karpf knows what it takes to keep NACAC’s National College Fairs program humming along.

From planning and promoting individual fairs, to negotiating with vendors and managing the program’s operating budget—Karpf has done it all over her three-decade tenue with the association.

“I still come to work with the same excitement that I had on my first day,” said Karpf, who joined the college fairs program as an administrative assistant and now serves as the department’s senior associate director. “I love the program, and I love what I do.”

Karpf, who celebrates her 30th year with NACAC this month, recently sat down with Admitted to talk about finding her niche, the value of college fairs, and what inspires her work.

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