Access, College Completion, NACAC National Conference, NACAC News

Keeping Culture at the Center: Native Students Succeed When Curriculum Affirms Their Identity

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The statistics are stark when it comes to college access and success for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

On some reservations, the college-going rate for high school grads is as low as 18 percent, according to data from the American Indian College Fund. And US Census Bureau data shows that only 14 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives hold college degrees.

Yet when given support and curriculum that affirms their culture, Native students excel, Carrie Billy, president and CEO of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), told attendees Thursday at NACAC’s 74th National Conference in Salt Lake City.

“A lot of our students don’t know who they are,” she said. “They’ve been through the K-12 system — a lot of them on reservations — and still haven’t learned their culture and their identity.”

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NACAC National Conference, NACAC News

Join Us for Cultural Fluency Conversations at #nacac18

As part of NACAC’s continuing commitment to fairness, equity, and professionalism, the association is dedicated to promoting cultural fluency in the college admission counseling profession.

Under the leadership of the Inclusion, Access, and Success (IAS) Committee, the next stage of NACAC’s work on this topic will consist of training sessions at the national conference that will focus on initiating and sustaining cultural fluency conversations in the workplace.

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College Admission, College Readiness

#NACACreads Author Offers College Prep Tips for Parents, Students

Students across the country are now back in school, and for many families, conversations about life after high school are just beginning.

#NACACreads author Ned Johnson has some advice for parents as they help guide their children through the college search and selection process. Johnson and William Stixrud, who together penned The Self-Driven Child, shared tips in a recent article published by U.S. News & World Report.

One takeaway for moms and dads: Resist the urge to micromanage.

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NACAC National Conference

5 Social Media Tips for #nacac18

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NACAC’s 74th National Conference in Salt Lake City kicks off in just a few days and there are so many ways to get involved. As the social media manager for NACAC I might be a little bit biased, but I think getting involved with the conference on social media is a great way to meet new people and ensure you don’t miss a moment of the action.

Check out my top five tips to get the most out of your national conference social media experience.

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NACAC News

ICYMI: Survey of Counselors Reveals Strong Opposition to Arming Educators

School counselors overwhelmingly oppose efforts to arm educators as a response to gun violence in schools, according to new NACAC survey data.

Nearly three-quarters of 2,251 counselors surveyed by the association in May and June reported being either “somewhat opposed” or “strongly opposed” to policies that seek to arm teachers and other school staff.

The data — gleaned from NACAC’s annual Counseling Trends Survey — was released Monday.

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College Admission

Application Advice for College-Bound Students

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High school seniors are sending out more and more college applications each year and NACAC members have some advice for students who want to make their applications stand out in the growing pile.

Extracurriculars are a big buzzword on college applications, but Craig Meister, director of college counseling at Oxbridge Academy (FL), urges students to look beyond just their school’s offerings.

Get involved in your larger community. Don’t count out after-school jobs or even taking care of your siblings.

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