Though movies and television make it seem like a full-ride scholarship will be readily available for nearly every student, reality is starkly different.
Continue reading By the Numbers: Student Scholarship Chances
Report: Structural, Motivational Barriers Undermine Community College Grad Rates
Helping community college students select courses suited to their interests and finding ways to connect classroom lessons with the real world could help more students persist in higher education, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution.
“The key takeaways are that making it easier for students to navigate the college environment and connect their coursework to their lives can improve student outcomes,” noted report author Elizabeth Mann Levesque.
Continue reading Report: Structural, Motivational Barriers Undermine Community College Grad Rates
Election Day is Just Around the Corner
Tuesday, November 6, is Election Day. NACAC encourages you to vote!
Here’s an easy way to see who will be on your ballot before you go vote.
Also, check out this infographic by Education Commission of the States for a quick visual of states with elections that will impact state education leadership.
ICYMI: New Research-to-Practice Brief Addresses College Access for Rural Students
Nearly half of America’s school districts are located in rural areas, yet the unique needs of these students are too often overlooked in the college search and selection process.
While family income, parental educational attainment, and prior academic achievement all play a role in limiting college access, systemic constraints also come into play – resulting in lower rates of college attendance for rural students when compared to their urban and suburban peers.
One such barrier? Poverty due to the loss of economic opportunities.
Continue reading ICYMI: New Research-to-Practice Brief Addresses College Access for Rural Students
Stanford Report: College Rankings Are Deeply Flawed
Are the families you serve overly concerned about college selectivity?
Researchers at Challenge Success — a nonprofit organization based at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education — released a white paper this fall that calls into question the value of university rankings.
“There is no question that the college admission process can be stressful. We hope that this paper prompts students and families to examine what college success means to them and to question common assumptions about college selectivity,” the authors note in the paper’s executive summary.
Continue reading Stanford Report: College Rankings Are Deeply Flawed
Campus Tour Tips for College-Bound Students
College visits can play a big role in determining a student’s best fit school.
But if college-bound students want to get the most out of these campus experiences, there are a few things they need to consider. Teen Vogue offers some tips to help students prepare.
Continue reading Campus Tour Tips for College-Bound Students
Minnesota Launches Effort to Reconnect with Adult Learners
A new pilot program is encouraging adult learners in Minnesota to restart their college careers.
MN Reconnect aims to help those with prior credits re-engage with higher education at four community colleges located throughout the state.
The goal? To increase the number of Minnesotans holding degrees by making college more accessible for adults.
Continue reading Minnesota Launches Effort to Reconnect with Adult Learners
Upcoming Webinar Addresses Race-Conscious Admission Policies
What policies and practices are most effective when it comes to race-conscious admission? And how do recent lawsuits — including the ongoing Harvard case — affect the ability of colleges to promote diversity?
An Oct. 24 webinar hosted by the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) will address those questions and more. The two-hour program is aimed at university counsel who advise institutions, but is also open to admission professionals and others who are involved in student enrollment and retention. The webinar is presented in cooperation with NACAC.
Continue reading Upcoming Webinar Addresses Race-Conscious Admission Policies
#NACACreads Author Hopes New Book Inspires Undocumented Students
Did you participate in our #NACACreads chat with Julissa Arce earlier this year?
The author and activist has released a new book about her experiences as an undocumented immigrant.
Someone Like Me — aimed at students ages 11 to 14 — was released last month. Arce told The New York Times that she hopes her story inspires undocumented students to dream big when it comes to higher education and their future.
Continue reading #NACACreads Author Hopes New Book Inspires Undocumented Students
NACAC Creates School Profile Resource
School profiles are an important tool in the college admission process.
They allow secondary schools to highlight the things that make them unique while helping college admission professionals better understand each school’s student body and academic offerings.
And thanks to NACAC, counselors now have a new resource to reference when creating or updating their institution’s profile. The online database — made available last month — includes links to more than 1,200 profiles from member schools.