New Consortium Formed to Study Gap Year Outcomes

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A group of admission deans and researchers have banded together to form a new coalition dedicated to studying gap year outcomes.

The new Gap Year Research Consortium—based at Colorado College—will seek to determine how students who take an intentional gap year before college fare upon their return to the classroom.

“As long-time supporters of the gap year movement, we believe that creating a clearinghouse for the research that is going on at colleges and universities around the country is the logical next step in better understanding the positive outcomes that can come from taking a gap year,” Colorado College Vice President of Enrollment Mark Hatch said in a news release.

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Call for Proposals: Submission Deadline Extended for National Conference

Looking for a meaningful way to share your expertise with college admission professionals from across the country? Want to facilitate deeper conversations with your colleagues?

The deadline for 2019 National Conference session proposals and facilitators has been extended to Jan. 14.

The conference format is changing for this year’s event. Session proposals are still open for the following:

  • Educational Session (75-minute presentation)
  • Interactive Tech Lab (45-minute presentation)
  • Learning Lounge (30-minute presentation)
  • Career and Global Hubs (60-min presentation)
  • Preconference Seminars (Three-hour session)
  • Ignite Session (20 slides at 15 seconds each)

The conference will run Sept. 26-28 in Louisville.

Learn more.

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

Vets Face Barriers When Applying to Many Elite Universities

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Veterans bring life experience and a unique perspective to college classrooms. So why aren’t vets found on the campuses of the most selective schools in the US?

Out of about 1 million veterans and their family members enrolled in higher education under the GI Bill, just 844 veterans are enrolled in the nation’s 36 most selective schools.

“In leadership and life, symbolism counts. Intentional or not, the low numbers of veterans signals to all of higher ed that these students do not matter,” community college writing professor Wick Sloane told The Hechinger Report.

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Building a Better College Admission Process

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Busting college admission myths is an important part of any counselor’s job, but do the subtle messages sent by some high schools and colleges undermine efforts to get young people to embrace a more balanced approach during application season?

Last summer, NACAC member Lisa Micele shared tips for all those involved in the process with NPR’s Here & Now.  Her goal? To help students build a college list of no more than 10 schools, all of which they would be happy and proud to attend.

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Parenting Your College Student: Navigating New Terrain Over Winter Break

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The Class of 2022 is home from college for their first winter break and many parents are seeing a new dynamic in their relationship with their children.

These college freshmen have just had their first taste of independence and striking the right balance can be tough for families.

“This is the hard work of being the parent to a college student,” parenting expert and doctor Deborah Gilboa told the Washington Post. “You got them here, now it’s time to let them go and let them thrive.”

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Department of Education Releases Online PSLF Tool

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Think you may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)? A new tool from the Department of Education can help you determine your eligibility.

The PSLF program was established in 2007 with the intent to reward public service employees who meet certain requirement by forgiving their student loan debt. In order to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, student loan borrowers must work full-time at a qualifying government or nonprofit organization and make 120 qualifying payments.

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