Everyone is adjusting to a new normal amid the coronavirus pandemic, including college admission professionals and the students they serve.
What should seniors keep in mind as they make their college choice? And what can counselors and colleges do to better serve students during the COVID-19 crisis?
Continue reading Adjusting to a New Normal: Advice from NACAC Members
Across the nation, high school seniors are coming to terms with a new normal.
Teens fear for the health of their family and friends amid the coronavirus outbreak. In addition, graduation ceremonies, proms, and spring sports have been canceled for many students—prompting understandable disappointment.
And like every spring, many seniors must also grapple with college rejections. For those students, Sophie Holohan has a simple message to share: “You are valid. You are incredible. You are going to do amazing things.”
Our members are movers and shakers. From landing new jobs to earning well-deserved awards, NACAC members have been busy.
Learn about the accomplishments of your colleagues and share your professional news for inclusion in the next installment of Member News and Notes.
Louisiana became the first state in the nation in 2018 to set FAFSA completion as a high school graduation requirement.
Since then, Illinois and Texas have adopted similar policies and several other states are weighing the option.
Officials from Louisiana recently shared their state’s story during a webinar organized by the Education Commission of the States. During the hour-long presentation, education leaders explained the process Louisiana followed when adopting the new requirement and discussed how counselors can support students as they file for financial aid.
Touching base with your students this week?
Research suggests teens in particular need support and reassurance during times of crisis.
“Research done in past disasters suggests that it is teenagers who are the most at risk when school is interrupted,” according to a recent NPR report. “Many are forced to work to earn money or have to stay home and take care of younger siblings. They are more likely to drop out and less likely to go on to college.”
Continue reading Research: Teens Especially at Risk in Times of Crisis
The latest episode of College Admissions Decoded is now available!
Listen to Episode 9, “Understanding Financial Aid Award Letters,” on NACAC’s website or Apple Podcasts.
Continue reading Available Now: New Podcast Episode
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
The legislation temporarily updates the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act. It will expire Dec. 31 unless Congress passes additional legislation.
Continue reading Admission Offices and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
A new tool from NACAC provides a look at admission-related services offered by secondary schools in the US and around the globe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
With so many schools closed or otherwise disrupted, it’s a challenge for counselors to help students finalize their college plans. NACAC’s new tool shows how different schools and counselors are responding to questions surrounding final course grades, requests for transcripts, and other college admission queries.
The crowdsourced resource is the second of two tools designed by NACAC.
Continue reading Tool Catalogs Admission-Related Services Offered by Secondary Schools
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published by The Education Trust. See the original article.
Amid increased anxiety over a global pandemic, parents and students alike are frantically adjusting to the new reality of school shutdowns, online learning, cancellation of standardized tests, library closings, the postponement of extracurricular activities, and limited travel. Meanwhile, there is a group of students that is eagerly awaiting college admission for fall 2020. How will the COVID-19 pandemic impact the college-going decisions of students, and how should colleges adjust admission criteria accordingly?
In a previous Ed Trust blog, I argued that institutions should, as the Supreme Court currently allows, use race as a factor in college admission, since the measures that most colleges use in their admission criteria (strength of curriculum, standardized test scores, grade point average, and non-academic factors) disadvantage students from low-income backgrounds and students of color. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the reality is that these same students will likely be disadvantaged by the factors that colleges and universities value in admission.
Continue reading Thoughts from a Former College Admission Officer in the COVID-19 Era
Strategies to attract and recruit international students were a topic of discussion earlier this month during a seminar hosted in Washington, DC, by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Coimbra Group of Brazilian Universities (GCUB).
The event brought key higher education leaders together to strengthen existing partnerships in the Americas and highlight new recruitment and exchange possibilities.
