On Dec. 12, #NACACreads chatted with Karen Gross about her book, Breakaway Learners . The book calls on college counselors and others to rethink the ways they help students prepare for life beyond high school.
Couldn’t make the discussion? Use this chat transcript to catch up on what you missed.
Continue reading #NACACreads: Transcript of Chat with Author Karen Gross
It’s no secret that switching majors can increase the time and money a student spends earning a degree. But college officials say it’s a scenario more and more undergrads are now facing.
According to federal data, a third of all college students change their major at least once. Ten percent of students switch paths two or more times.
Carol Jean Vale, president of Chestnut Hill College (PA), attributes the shift to a rise in college access. As more first-generation students enter college, they need different types of support, she told The Hechinger Report.
Continue reading Could Enhanced Advising Help More Students Find a Right-Fit Major?
What can we do to better serve at-risk students in our high schools and on our college campuses?
Share your insights tomorrow night during a special #NACACreads chat with Karen Gross, author of Breakaway Learners.
Packed with strategies to aid counselors in higher ed, as well as those working in K-12 schools and community-based organizations, the book calls on college counselors and others to rethink the ways they help students prepare for life beyond high school.
“You know, colleges can see that. You really should watch what you post.”
It’s a common refrain from parents and teachers throughout the college admission process, but are admission officers actually checking social media?
A new survey by Kaplan Test Prep found that just 25 percent of college admission officers check the social media accounts of prospective students, down from a high of 40 percent in 2015.
Continue reading Survey: Admission Professionals Sound Off About Social Media Checks
Parents don’t need to be tech-savvy to raise girls who are interested in STEM.
A recent poll found that parents’ proficiency with technology has only marginal effects on girls’ excitement about the subject.
“This survey shows that, contrary to popular belief, girls are interested in tech, and that they will seek out instruction regardless of their parents’ affinity with technology,” according to Tracey Welson-Rossman, founder and CEO of TechGirlz — a nonprofit organization that worked with Drexel University (PA) to conduct the survey. “It should reassure parents they can set their daughters on the path to a rewarding, empowering career in tech with support and encouragement, even if they do not understand the subject matter themselves.”
Continue reading Survey: Girls Thrive in STEM, Even Without Tech-Savvy Parents
Many college fairs are held during the fall. They provide a great opportunity for high school students and their parents or guardians to talk with college admission representatives. At two annual college fairs I am familiar with, financial aid representatives have a booth and talk about local scholarship options. Unfortunately, their booths are not very busy while admission representatives have many students waiting to discuss admission requirements. Usually the reps whose colleges are the most competitive and have the most well-known names have the longest lines.
In many instances, top students wait in long lines for well-known colleges because they have been encouraged to apply. Student GPAs and test scores can assist with the admission process, but there is a catch. Because most of the students applying to these colleges will also have impressive academic backgrounds, the colleges may not offer a generous financial award package to each student. Every college does things differently.
Share your expertise and give back to your professional community next September in Louisville.
NACAC’s 2019 National Conference call for proposals and facilitators is open until Jan. 7 and the format for this conference will be different from years past, with a larger array of presentation types sought.
Check out the changes and submit your proposal. You can also apply to be a reviewer, a position where you’ll help determine the educational offerings selected for next year’s conference.
Continue reading #NACAC19: Call for Proposals and Facilitators is Open Through Jan. 7
Tennessee is considered a national leader when it comes to college access.
The Tennessee Promise program offers high school grads two years of free community college. Meanwhile, Tennessee Reconnect provides tuition-free avenues for adults who want to return to school or are just starting their college journey.
Yet despite the wide-array of offerings, degree attainment across the state is uneven. A new analysis of public data published by The Tennessean offers insight into some of the factors impeding wider progress.
Continue reading Tennessee Weighs Next Steps in College Completion Campaign
Though being a counselor can often be a thankless job, there is at least one person publicly singing your praises.
Jessica Lander, a teacher and author in the Boston area, recently wrote an op-ed for The Boston Globe pleading with Boston and the state of Massachusetts to understand the value of school counselors.
From not getting an FSA ID before filling out the FAFSA to forgetting to sign the form — it’s easy to make missteps when applying for federal financial aid.
But the US Department of Education wants to help students avoid the most common mistakes.
Continue reading Tips to Help Families Avoid Common FAFSA Errors