College Readiness

Op-Ed: Taking a Gap Year Builds Resilience

iStock

An academic in Australia has one major piece of advice for students before they head to university: Take a gap year.

“School might have prepared students intellectually for a tertiary education, but there is lots school can’t prepare you for — and that’s how to deal with real people in the real world,” Jenna Price, who works at the University of Technology in Sydney, wrote in The Sydney Morning-Herald.

Though a gap year alone won’t turn a C-student into an A-student, she said there is a significant difference in the overall performance of students who’ve taken a break from formal education.

Continue reading Op-Ed: Taking a Gap Year Builds Resilience →

College Admission

Parents: Before You Yell at Your Child’s School Counselor

1 Comment
iStock

Editor’s note: A version of post was first published on Counselors’ Corner.

You’ve worked so hard to schedule, prepare, and nudge your high school senior to apply to college on time. You shared that small thrill when they hit “submit” with time to spare, and you thought you were all set.

Until they got the e-mail.

“Our records indicate your application is incomplete. Unless we receive a copy of your high school transcript in the next five days, we will be unable to process your application.”

At this point, you’ve decided this is personal, so even though it’s 7 at night, you pick up the phone and leave The Mother of All Voice Mails for your school counselor.

Boy, did you just blow it. Here’s why:

Continue reading Parents: Before You Yell at Your Child’s School Counselor →

College Admission

Students: Take the Pledge to Apply to College

Pledging to apply to college now comes with a bigger perk than simply reaching your higher education goals.

November is National College Application Month and Better Make Room wants students to pledge to get those applications turned in.

In exchange, they’ve arranged for a wide range of celebrities to do laundry for those who pledge.

Continue reading Students: Take the Pledge to Apply to College →

Access, NACAC News

#NACACreads: Read an Excerpt from ‘Breakaway Learners’

The students we serve are changing.

Are you?

Karen Gross, who spent eight years as president of Southern Vermont College, poses that question in Breakaway Learners — a book we’ll discuss during our next #NACACreads chat.

“Many of today’s students are the first in their families to attend college, let alone graduate; many are immigrants; many are low income,” writes Gross, who will join us for an hour-long Twitter discussion on Dec. 12. “Many have experienced trauma or toxic stress.”

Continue reading #NACACreads: Read an Excerpt from ‘Breakaway Learners’ →

Financial Aid, Paying for College

FAFSA State Deadlines are Approaching

iStock

Need financial aid for the 2019-20 academic year?

The US Department of Education is reminding students to remain cognizant of deadlines when completing the FAFSA.

While the form is primarily used to award federal financial aid, many states also use the FAFSA to assess eligibility for their aid programs — and some of those deadlines are on the horizon.

Continue reading FAFSA State Deadlines are Approaching →

International Education

Report: New International Student Enrollments Continue to Decline

iStock

The number of international students studying at US colleges and universities hit an all-time high of 1.09 million during the 2017-18 academic year.

But data captured in the most recent Open Doors report from the Institute of International Educational Exchange (IIE) shows that new international student enrollments continued to fall— a trend first observed three years ago.

Continue reading Report: New International Student Enrollments Continue to Decline →

College Admission Resources, Financial Aid, Paying for College

Tips to Help Parents Tackle the FAFSA

1 Comment
iStock

In many homes, filling out the FAFSA is a family affair.

Although students are always encouraged to take the lead when it comes to applying to colleges, they are often required to work in conjunction with their parents or guardians to provide information about their family’s income and other factors when seeking financial aid.

With that in mind, the US Department of Education recently published a blog post with tips to help families navigate the FAFSA process.

Continue reading Tips to Help Parents Tackle the FAFSA →

International Education

Celebrate #IEW2018

It’s officially International Education Week (#IEW2018), a joint initiative of the US Department of State and the US Department of Education that celebrates the benefits of international education worldwide.

At NACAC, we are celebrating this week (Nov. 12-16) by featuring stories from our members about the impact of international education, why they chose to work in international education, and what international education means to them.

View videos from our members and follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts to celebrate with us this week.

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

College Admission, NACAC News

ICYMI: NACAC Releases Annual State of College Admission Report

How do colleges build a freshman class? NACAC’s  annual State of College Admission report — released on Thursday — offers students, parents, and others a peek at the various factors weighed when reviewing applications.

Now in its 15th year, the report continues to emphasize the importance of academic performance in the admission process. Altogether, colleges on average accept nearly two-thirds of first-time freshmen, with students’ grades and the academic rigor of their course loads weighing more heavily in decisions to admit than standardized test scores, high school class rank, or demonstrated interest in attending.

But other factors also play a role. For example, 22 percent of colleges rated the high school a student attended as at least moderately important in admission decisions for first-time freshmen. And roughly half of all colleges attributed some level of influence to alumni relations when accessing the applications of such students.

Continue reading ICYMI: NACAC Releases Annual State of College Admission Report →

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