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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College Admission, College Admission Resources

Campus Differences Matter in the College Search

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Courtesy of Barbara T. Conner

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

After visiting a few college campuses, most people begin to think that they are all alike — and in some ways they are right. Most colleges offer students a variety of factors that seem similar: rigorous academics, varied social activities, and meaningful ways to connect with the community.

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Access

Perspective: Undocumented and College-bound

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Taking that first step toward a college degree comes with several extra hurdles for undocumented students and other immigrant youth, and those challenges are often overlooked by many.

Incoming college freshman Dafne, who is undocumented, shared her story in Teen Vogue, hoping to highlight the extra hoops students like her often have to jump through.

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International Education

New Paper Offers Guidance on Institution-Agent Partnerships

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Does your college use agents to recruit international students?

In a new article published by NACAC, Jake Reckford, a client manager at IDP Connect, shares his perspective on what it takes to develop successful institution-agent partnerships.

The piece is offered in conjunction with a series of NACAC resource papers designed to help institutions that work with agents in the college admission process.

Continue reading New Paper Offers Guidance on Institution-Agent Partnerships →

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