Nasim Mohammadzadeh is ahead of the game when it comes to financing her college education.
The Kentucky teen’s entry in NACAC’s 2019 Video Essay Contest earned her a $1,000 scholarship — money that will soon come in handy as she works to pursue an undergraduate degree in neuroscience or biology.
“It really lifts a burden off of me as a whole because, you know, looking at that big number, that tuition cost, for any college…it’s overwhelming,” Mohammadzadeh, a rising senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, said Tuesday during a Facebook Live broadcast.“…Having this scholarship gives me motivation that even if I get into some place that’s extremely expensive and out of my price range, this little scholarship is going to help me be able to achieve that dream and go to that university.”
Getting to and through college is an amazing feat for first-generation students. But, the challenges this student population faces do not stop post-graduation.
From parental connections to internships to the ability to buy a suit for interviews, the road from first-generation student to first-generation professional is a bumpy one.
We’ll be broadcasting via Facebook Live on Tuesday, June 25 with Nasim Mohammadzadeh, a rising senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, KY.
Mohammadzadeh is one of the winners of NACAC’s 2019 Video Essay Contest, sponsored by ZeeMee.
I had a chance to discuss the bigger world of college admission with some local counselors at a recent college breakfast, where admission officers from five colleges gave us brief updates on life at their campuses. They opened up their presentation to questions at the end, and it’s my habit to ask them about advice for parents—if colleges could give one recommendation to the parents who have to watch their children apply to college, what would it be?
I’ve asked this question of many college admission officers over the years, and the response is always the same: Let the child drive the bus.
NACAC today launched its College Admissions Decoded podcast series to help students, families, and the professionals who support them better understand the admission process.
Colleges and universities are making strides in gender inclusivity, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Ten years ago, the University of Vermont became the first school in the US to allow students to self-identify their pronouns and to include it in their student data.
Now, according to the Campus Pride Trans Policy Clearinghouse, 255 colleges enable students to use a chosen first name, instead of their legal name, on campus records and documents; 60 colleges enable students to change the gender on their campus records without evidence of medical intervention; and 19 colleges enable students to indicate the pronouns they use for themselves on course rosters.
A new resource is available to help American Indian students navigate the college admission process.
Native Pathways: A College-Going Guidebook was released this spring by the American Indian College Fund. The organization is asking counselors and others for help getting the free publication into the hands of students.
The 57-page booklet—developed through the College Fund’s successful Native Pathways to College Program—includes information on preparing for higher education, applying to schools, and paying for college. It also includes tips to help students get their college career off to the right start.
International students heading to the US for college now have an extra step to complete when applying for a visa.
Under rules that went into effect earlier this month, students and most others seeking US visas will be asked to disclose their social media screen names.
Nasim Mohammadzadeh is ahead of the game when it comes to financing her college education.
