Access, College Admission

‘If not us, then who?’

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Editor’s note: A version of this column was first published on Holistic College Mentor in April 2016. The author’s sister is currently in her senior year at Utica College (NY) and is on track to earn a master’s degree in health and physical education next year.

Never did I think that it would be somewhat difficult to usher my sister through the college application process. Her life had been far more complicated than mine, but she was determined to succeed. I was the first in our family to graduate from high school and college. She was inspired by that. Most of the same folks who were against my decision to go away for college supported her choice.

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Importance of School Counselors, Opinion

Op-Ed: The Necessity of College Counseling Training

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I was in over my head. I was a new school counselor for a high school’s inaugural senior class. From my first day, I was inundated with questions from my seniors.

“This school is asking for my non-custodial parent info, but my mom and I haven’t spoken to my dad since we came to the US years ago — does this mean I can’t apply?”

“My favorite school won’t accept the fee waiver you told me about — why not?”

“My parents want me to start at the community college, but I really want to start at U of I — what should I do?”

And most often, something to the tune of, “My parents didn’t go to college — how do I do all this?!”

We made it through that first year, but not without a lot of questions and mistakes along the way. That crash course in college counseling was something I will never forget, but it didn’t have to be so difficult.

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International Education

Travel Ban Expanded to Include 6 New Countries

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Since taking office, the Trump administration has sought to limit access to the US by individuals from certain countries through travel bans instituted by executive order. On Friday, the Trump administration issued a presidential proclamation that expanded the existing ban to include six additional countries.

Effective Feb. 21, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar (Burma), Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania will join seven other countries already facing travel restrictions.

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Featured, Importance of School Counselors

Dear Future High School Counselor…

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Editor’s Note: National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, is always celebrated the first full week in February. We asked NACAC member Edward “Eddie” Pickett III to reflect on what the week — and the profession — mean to him. He chose to pen a letter to the profession’s future leaders.

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Access, College Admission, International Education, NACAC News

NACAC Urges Flexibility in Wake of Coronavirus

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NACAC is one of several education organizations encouraging their members to be mindful of the impacts of the Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak on students, families, staff, and colleagues.

In a statement issued yesterday, the association urged flexibility for students, families, and counselors in the affected areas and encouraged its members to take action where necessary.

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Cost of College, Paying for College

College Senior Offers Financial Advice to Incoming Freshmen

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Editor’s note:  This post was originally published on Admitted in July 2019. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

It’s no secret that a college education is expensive. But there are ways to keep costs as low as possible.

Laura Uzes, a senior at UCLA, shared her tried-and-true advice for keeping college costs down with Homeroom, the US Department of Education’s blog.

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College Admission, International Education

After Brexit: What’s Changing and What Will Stay the Same

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Editor’s Note: Elisabeth K. Marksteiner serves on International ACAC’s Advocacy and Outreach Committee, where her special interest is Brexit.

Fact: On Friday, Jan. 31, the United Kingdom will leave the European Union.

Fiction: The UK doesn’t want international students.

Fact: International enrollment numbers are at a record high. In fact, the recent introduction of a two-year post-graduation visa makes it an opportune time for students to consider a degree in the UK.

For the majority of students seeking degrees, nothing will change. Degrees remain largely three years in length and specialized. If your students are thinking “out-of-state,” you may also want to encourage them to think “out of country.” The UK will continue to offer high-quality, internationally recognized degrees.

Why then all the trepidation?

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College Readiness, Opinion

The College Counselor Who Left His Own Children Alone

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Editor’s note:  This post was originally published on Admitted in March 2019. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

When it comes to dealing with the key moments of my daughter’s life, I’ve always had my hands full. The first one came when she was not even two years old. She decided it was time to climb up on the playscape all by herself, just like she’d seen her older brother do. It didn’t matter that her legs were about half as long, and the diaper she was wearing significantly limited her mobility. It was time, and that was that.

As she eyed the situation, I was about 20 feet away, clearing some brush, and holding a chainsaw, of all things. There was no way I could drop the chainsaw without her noticing it, and not even the slowest gait towards her would do anything but convince her I didn’t think this was a good idea. All I could do was stand there and watch, poised on the balls of my feet to spring the 20 feet in the event I needed to catch her. She didn’t exactly look like Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, but she made it up, in her own way, safe and sound.

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Financial Aid

Transgender and Undocumented Students in Illinois Can Now Access State Aid

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Undocumented students and some transgender students previously shut out of Illinois’ state financial aid system have been granted access.

New legislation that went into effect earlier this month allows affected students to secure money for college through the new Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.

Several dozen people have already taken advantage of the option, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

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Regular updates on NACAC and the world of college admission counseling. For more information about NACAC, visit nacacnet.org.