Uncategorized

Up Next To Offer Partnership Opportunities

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Looking for a new way to help your students navigate the college admission process?

Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Better Make Room initiative is getting ready to launch Up Next 2.0, an updated version of its text messaging service for college-bound students.

The program, introduced last summer, reminds students to complete important tasks, such as signing up for a college admission test or filing their FAFSA.

Nearly 100,000 people registered for Up Next text messages in 2016-17. Better Make Room is preparing to expand the program’s reach in 2017-18 and will offer customized messages via partnerships with high schools, colleges, community organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies.

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Access, College Admission in the News

New Louisiana Law Prohibits Criminal History Questions on College Apps

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Louisiana became the first US state to ban the box on college admission applications in June.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed House Bill 688 into law on June 16, The Louisiana Weekly reported. The new law prohibits all public postsecondary education institutions in the state from asking about a prospective student’s criminal history during the admission process. In other words, the state banned the check box that asks applicants whether they have ever been convicted of a crime.

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Uncategorized

Check Out NACAC’s Directory of Member Blogs

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NACAC members have a lot to say.

Keep tabs on the latest developments using the association’s new directory of member blogs.

Searching for news and commentary about the profession? Check out the page’s “For Professionals” section. Want articles about the college admission process to share with teens and their parents? You’ll find a wide array of options under the “For Students and Families” heading.

Continue reading Check Out NACAC’s Directory of Member Blogs →

International Education, Uncategorized

Study in the US: Avoiding Scams During the Visa Application Process

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Immigration is one of President Trump’s most publicized policy priorities, and even amidst legal challenges and opposition he has continued with efforts to curb immigration. NACAC supports international students as they seek to study in the United States, and wants to ensure that individuals follow the proper procedures as they apply for visa applications.

During this state of flux, some individuals and companies are trying to capitalize on the uncertainly within the immigration system. Some tech companies have created online services that help individuals submit their visa applications to the US government for a fee. These include at least one company that promises to link individuals with immigration lawyers or visa specialists for personalized support through the process.

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Academic Performance

Study: Sleep Patterns Affect Academic Performance

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Late night study sessions may seem like a good idea to students looking to boost their grades, but new research suggests sticking with a consistent sleep schedule may be a better long-term strategy.

The study, published earlier this month by Scientific Reports, found that college students who did not go to bed and wake up at similar times each day were more likely to have lower GPAs.

Irregular sleep patterns upend students’ natural body clocks and can leave them feeling jet-lagged, a condition that ultimately undermines their performance in the classroom, Dr. Charles Czeisler, one of the study’s authors, told CNN.

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College Admission

Admission Officers Share Advice They Give Their Own College-Bound Kids

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Editor’s note: A version of this post originally appeared on Admitted in March 2016. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

The college search and application process continues this summer for rising seniors.

In a 2016 New York Times article, nine college admission officers offered a unique perspective on what lies ahead.

As parents themselves, the interviewees shared the advice they offer to their own college-bound children.

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College Completion, Financial Aid

Report: New Technologies Could Help Improve Financial Aid Process

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Financial concerns cause nearly 3 million students to drop out of college each year.

Researchers at Tyton Partners believe a student-centered approach to financial aid could help reduce those numbers. In a recent report, the Boston-based advising firm chronicled the challenges posed by the current system and examined potential solutions through a survey of more than 1,800 higher ed administrators.

Their take? Targeted communication could help improve the process for both students and colleges.

“According to administrators, the biggest challenges preventing students from accessing aid are lack of student engagement, lack of awareness, and insufficient financial aid,” the report notes. “All three of these issues are addressable through improved communication between the institution and the student.”

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Cost of College, Paying for College, Post-College Outcomes

Report: Women Hold Two-Thirds of All Student Debt

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Women hold more student debt and take longer than men to pay it off, according to a recent report from the American Association of University Women.

“It’s encouraging that women are enrolling in college more than ever before, but at the same time they are taking on larger amounts of debt to pay for their dreams,” AAUW researcher Kevin Miller said in a press release. “Because of factors like the gender pay gap, debt that could be manageable ends up becoming unmanageable, particularly for women.”

Women now earn 57 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded by US colleges, but hold almost two-thirds of the country’s $1.3 trillion student debt.

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International Education, Transfer

A Closer Look at Reverse Transfer and International Students

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Nine percent of all international students in the US, or 95,000, were enrolled at community colleges in 2015-16, according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report.

National data on the proportion of international students that start at community colleges upon initial entry to the US, versus those who start at a four-year college and then transfer to a community college, is currently unavailable. However, it’s clear from preliminary research that similar to domestic transfer students, international students reverse transfer from four-year colleges to community colleges, concurrently enroll in both, and swirl back and forth between the two.

Continue reading A Closer Look at Reverse Transfer and International Students →

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