College Admission in the News, Importance of School Counselors, NACAC News

Brian Coleman Named School Counselor of the Year

ASCA

Congratulations to NACAC member Brian Coleman, the 2019 School Counselor of the Year.

The American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) School Counselor of the Year award “honors professionals who devote their careers to advocating for the nation’s students and addressing their academic and social/emotional development and college and career readiness needs.”

Coleman, a school counselor and counseling department chair at Jones College Prep in Chicago, IL, has worked to make sure his school takes a holistic approach to counseling.

“As a school with college in our name, there tends to be a great deal of focus and energy placed exclusively on students’ college and postsecondary planning processes,” Coleman told ASCA. “However, we have worked to create a broader awareness that students’ holistic well-being is just as important to their current and future successes.”

Coleman was honored by Jill Biden at a ceremony Friday in Washington, DC.

“It can be so hard to be a teenager. We’ve all been there. It can be so hard to know where you fit in and where you fit in to your community, especially as you plan your future. But Brian gives his students confidence in their abilities. He helps them find the best in themselves, and he pushes them to reach higher,” Biden said.

“He represents the best of this profession, but he’s certainly not alone.”

Learn more about Coleman and watch a livestream from the SCOY award ceremony.

Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.

International Education

Facebook Live: International Students Need to Feel Welcome

During a Facebook Live broadcast Thursday afternoon, EducationUSA Branch Chief Fred Boll discussed the message he wants the United States to send to students across the globe.

“The State Department and EducationUSA are focused on sending a clear and positive message to students all around the world that you are welcome in the United States. We want all qualified students to come study in the United States. We have an unparalleled diversity of institutions, opportunities…There are experiences students will have here that they will simply not get anywhere else,” Boll said.

Continue reading Facebook Live: International Students Need to Feel Welcome →

Importance of School Counselors

Celebrate National School Counseling Week 2019

National School Counseling Week kicks off on Monday. The annual five-day event, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), celebrates the many ways counselors make a difference in the lives of students.

Online contests and local events are scheduled across the country, making it the perfect time to highlight the profession we love.

Continue reading Celebrate National School Counseling Week 2019 →

College Completion, Paying for College

US Recognizes Campus Hunger for the First Time

iStock

Food insecurity among students is finally getting recognized by the federal government.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that there are at least 2 million students who are at risk of being food insecure and who qualify for SNAP benefits but did not receive them. This number could be significantly higher, but the data available at this time is inconclusive.

This report is the first time the federal government has significantly acknowledged food insecurity on college campuses.

Continue reading US Recognizes Campus Hunger for the First Time →

International Education, NACAC News

Facebook Live: Join Us to Talk International Student Recruitment in the US

Interested in learning more about international student recruitment in the US?

We’ll be broadcasting via Facebook Live on Thursday, Jan. 31 with EducationUSA’s branch chief Fred Boll. Tune in at noon ET to learn more about EducationUSA resources and priorities, as well as strategies to attract qualified students to the US.

Continue reading Facebook Live: Join Us to Talk International Student Recruitment in the US →

Advocacy

Report: LGBTQ Students Not Safe at Most US High Schools

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What’s the school climate for LGBTQ students in your state?

According to GLSEN’s recently released State Snapshots report, high schools in all 41 states and Puerto Rico are not safe for most LGBTQ students.

More often than not, LGBTQ students do not have access to important school resources, such as LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum or student clubs designed to support LGBTQ students. In most cases, LGBTQ students are not protected by supportive and inclusive school policies.

Continue reading Report: LGBTQ Students Not Safe at Most US High Schools →

International Education

EducationUSA Resources Open Now to Public, Agents

iStock

For some colleges and universities, partnering with commissioned agents to recruit international students is part of a multifaceted admission strategy.

Though the use of agents can be controversial, EducationUSA is changing its long-standing policy and will now make EducationUSA information and resources available to the public at large, which would include agents. They will also include agents working with US higher education institutions in EducationUSA events and meetings.

Continue reading EducationUSA Resources Open Now to Public, Agents →

Advocacy

Facebook Live: Get Involved in NACAC Advocacy Efforts

During a Facebook Live broadcast Tuesday afternoon, NACAC Government Relations Committee Chair Jim Fowler discussed ways you can get involved with NACAC’s advocacy efforts and why they matter.

“What I’ve learned through my time in GRAC – at the affiliate and at the national level – is how important it is for us to stand up and be counted on a lot of these issues. Members of Congress work for us,” Fowler said.

“So many of us use metrics in our work, to do our jobs, and so do they. If 3,000 NACAC members sign up on a legislative action alert that raises the profile of the conversation. It really sends a message. If we don’t send that message, then that message falls on deaf ears. We are a large, growing organization that can have an elective voice that really is resonant on issues for students and education.”

Continue reading Facebook Live: Get Involved in NACAC Advocacy Efforts →

NACAC News

#NACACreads: Join Us for a Discussion of ‘Becoming’

You’ve no doubt heard all about Michelle Obama’s record-breaking and emotional memoir, Becoming.

There are so many takeaways and lessons in the book for college admission counselors and professionals that we are thrilled to announce a special edition of our #NACACreads Twitter chat focused on the book.

Together with Reach Higher, we will host a discussion surrounding the former first lady’s own journey to college, her experience as a first-generation student, the importance of diversity on campus, and the role college counselors play.

“At its essence, Becoming is a story about the power of perseverance and of believing in yourself. As educators and advocates, we all know students with their own ‘becoming’ stories; we just have to help them fulfill their potential and see their own power,” said Stephanie Owens, Reach Higher’s director of programs.

Share your own insights during our #NACACreads chat on March 19. The hour-long discussion will kick off on Twitter at 9 p.m. ET.

Haven’t checked out the book yet? Read or listen to an excerpt about Michelle Obama’s college search.

Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.

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