College Admission

Students: Share Your College Essay with The New York Times

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Is your college application essay about money, work, social class, or another related topic?

If so, The New York Times wants to hear from you.

“No topic is too weighty and no stunt too flighty or approach too light for our taste, as long as the essay has at least something to do with money,” the paper notes in its call for submissions. “In the past people have written about their own jobs or their parents’ work (or lack thereof), what it’s like to be poor, what it’s like to be rich and what it’s like to work at McDonald’s.”

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NACAC News, National College Fairs

Ferguson Celebrates 30 Years with NACAC

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NACAC’s Gregory Ferguson stopped by the Philadelphia National College Fair in November 2015. Ferguson celebrated 30 years with NACAC last month. (Chuck Fazio Photography)

NACAC’s Gregory Ferguson applied to the association three times before being hired in 1987 as assistant director of National College Fairs (NCF).

What kept him coming back? Unwavering support for the program’s mission.

“I really firmly believe: For any student who wants to go to college, there is an institution out there for them,” said Ferguson, who celebrated his 30th year with NACAC last month. Under his leadership, the NCF program has grown steadily and gained a national reputation for quality.

Ferguson, who now serves as the program’s executive director, recently sat down with Admitted to talk about his contributions to NACAC, the future of the NCF program, and what inspires his work.

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NACAC News

#NACACreads: Students Need Good Info about Gap Year

gaptogreatartCounselors who take time to discuss gap year options provide a great service to college-bound students and their families, says author Andrea Wien.

Higher education is an expensive endeavor, and the grades and connections students make as freshmen can set the course for the rest of their college career.

That’s why teens who are burned out from high school — or just not developmentally ready for college — may benefit from taking a gap year to work, travel, or explore an area of interest, Wien said Wednesday during a #NACACreads Twitter discussion of her book, Gap to Great.

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College Admission

Campus Tour Tips from a College President

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Editor’s note: A version of this post originally appeared on Admitted in March 2016. 

Spring break is just around the corner at high schools across the country and many juniors will use the time to check out college campuses.

For one dad, the season brings back fond memories. L. Jay Lemons recently shared tips for making the most out of campus visits.

Lemons, president of Susquehanna University (PA) — a NACAC member institution — knows of what he speaks. In addition to leading a liberal arts institution, in recent years he’s toured dozens of college campuses as a parent.

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College Admission

Survey: Students (Not Parents) Should Drive College Admission Process

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Parents, take note: Admission officers can tell when you pretend to be your child on the phone.

And butting in to answer questions directed at your son or daughter during a campus visit does more harm than good, a recent survey of more than 350 US admission officers shows.

Overall, 75 percent of survey respondents said that parents should only be “somewhat involved” in the college admission process.

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College Admission, Cost of College, Financial Aid, Paying for College

Survey: Cost Influences College Choice

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A new study confirms what many admission professionals already know —students are cost-conscious when selecting a college.

Nearly 19 percent of students who turned down the chance to attend their top-choice school in 2016 did so because of the cost of attendance, according to new data from Royall & Company, a firm that assists colleges with enrollment management and fundraising.

“I think enrollment leaders and the public in general have had a suspicion that cost factors were driving a lot of enrollment decisions,” Royall’s Managing Director Peter Farrell told Inside Higher Ed. “This verifies it in an empirical way.”

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International Education

EducationUSA Seeks Recruitment Videos from US Colleges

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Looking for a new way to reach prospective international students?

EducationUSA — a US Department of State network with more than 400 international student advising centers in over 170 countries — is inviting US colleges and universities to submit recruitment videos.

Videos should be about one minute in length and will be added to EducationUSA’s YouTube channel.

Continue reading EducationUSA Seeks Recruitment Videos from US Colleges →

Financial Aid

Learn More about Financial Aid Award Letters

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Reviewing and comparing award letters is an important part of the decision-making process for college-bound students.

Learn how to help families understand and interpret financial aid offers next week during a Twitter chat organized by the National College Access Network and the American Council on Education.

The hour-long discussion kicks off at 3 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, March 28. Follow along and ask questions using #AwardLettersChat.

Continue reading Learn More about Financial Aid Award Letters →

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