College Completion, Financial Aid

Rethinking Financial Aid for Student-Parents

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Could changing the federal financial aid structure help more student-parents earn a degree?

A recent op-ed published by the Center for American Progress argues that awarding larger Pell Grants could help more parents persist to graduation.

“These funds would not be enough to cover anywhere close to the full cost of child care—nor would they address underlying structural issues related to the lack of available spots in high-quality child care options—but they would at least recognize that parents face larger costs than nonparents, including for things that go beyond child care, such as food or clothing,” Ben Miller, vice president for postsecondary education at American Progress, notes in his column.

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International Education, NACAC News

Updated Guide Offers Tips for US Students Seeking Degrees Abroad 

Are your students interested in exploring educational options outside the US?

NACAC’s newly updated Guide to International University Admission features country profiles and admission advice for 13 destinations that have proven popular among US students seeking full degrees outside their home country.

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College Completion

NPR Podcast Promises to Help Students Navigate College

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A new podcast series from NPR is designed to help students make the most out of higher ed.

How to Succeed at College offers advice on how to pick classes, what to talk about at office hours, and the best strategies for studying. One episode even includes information about how to land a job after graduation.

“No matter where you are coming from, college can be a huge transition, and figuring out how to make it work for you is super-important,” host Elissa Nadworny says in an introduction to the series. “…”We’re going to cover a lot of ground: from making friends to nailing job interviews and how to roll with it when things don’t go as planned.”

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College Admission

A College Visit to Remember

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Editor’s note:  This post was originally published on Admitted in November 2018. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

We’d like to know a little bit about you for our files;

We’d like to help you learn to help yourself;

Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes;

Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home.

Simon and Garfunkel’s lyrics mirror the facts and feelings of visiting prospective colleges these days.

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College Admission

Lessons Learned: Reflections and Advice from a Regional Admission Counselor

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Editor’s note:  This post was originally published on Admitted in July 2017. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series

After 14 years working in the admission office for my alma mater, I had it good. I coordinated the campus visit team, supervised tour guides, worked with transfer students, and held many “other duties as assigned.” In short, I knew what I was doing.

Then two years ago, I was offered an exciting new role that turned my career on its head: I became Gettysburg College’s first West Coast regional counselor.

In the past 24 months I have learned about the challenges of a three-hour time difference, work-life balance, and the importance of communication with the office. I’ve also reflected on how counselors — and campus-based leaders — can work together to make the most out of regional positions.

Here are my tips for counselors and admission leaders who are considering making the jump.

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College Admission, College Readiness

Michelle Obama Encourages Students to Reach Higher

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has released a special back-to-school message.

“The harder you work in your classes this year, the more opportunities you’ll have to go to college and get the education you need to be who you want to be and build the life you want to live,” Obama tells students in a video message released by Better Make Room. “And that matters not just for your future, but for the future of our country and our world.”

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College Admission, College Readiness, Rankings

3 Ways to Make the Most out of College

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Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in December 2017. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

Feeling stressed about the college application process? Take heart.

“There are plenty of great schools in this country, and what matters much more than how they are ranked is how you make use of their resources,” Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University (CT), writes in a column published by The Washington Post.

He continues: “When I talk to seniors and recent graduates from schools of all kinds and in various parts of the country, I find that it matters little how difficult it was to get admitted to that school and that it matters a great deal how hard they worked while attending it.”

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