Need another reason to celebrate National School Counseling Week?
A recent NACAC study confirmed that students who meet one-on-one with a school counselor are significantly more likely to attend college and apply for federal financial aid.
Continue reading Spread the Word: School Counselors Positively Impact College Access
A growing number of colleges are using student data to identify and assist struggling undergrads, according to a recent New York Times report.
Georgia State University, the University of Arizona, and Middle Tennessee State are among institutions using analytics in an effort to boost student retention and graduation rates.
Continue reading Could Big Data Help Raise College Grad Rates?
What role should school counselors play in helping students explore careers?
An article published this month by the National Career Development Association asserts that teens are best served when given opportunities to participate in internships and explore earnings data while still in high school.
Continue reading Online Resources to Help Students Explore Careers
A shortened version of the FAFSA reduced completion time and errors when compared with the official form, according to independent testing.
The Streamlined FAFSA — developed by the National College Access Network (NCAN) — includes as few as 20 to 25 questions, depending on the student. NCAN would like the government to take similar steps to shorten the financial aid application process.
The effects of President Donald Trump’s most recent executive order are already being felt at high schools and colleges across the country.
The action temporarily bans individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US or obtaining visas, including F-1 and J-1 student visas.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and other media are closely monitoring this developing story. The coverage below explores the order’s effect on students, scholars, and communities.
Continue reading News Roundup: Colleges and Communities Respond to Immigration Order
NACAC President Nancy Beane sent the following message to members today:
Dear Colleagues,
This past Friday’s executive order restricting immigration has shaken the admission profession and the institutions we serve. The policy is fundamentally opposed to NACAC’s values, and we have begun strategizing with colleagues in the higher education community and others to discover ways to help ease the anxiety students, families, and professionals are experiencing.
Continue reading ICYMI: NACAC Responds to Immigration Order
High school seniors across the country are kicking their college search into high gear.
What should they focus on as they work to submit their applications?
This summer, The Washington Post asked dozens of admission professionals about the advice they’d like to give prospective applicants.
Continue reading Admission Officers Offer Advice to Prospective Students
Could taking a break from formal education help more students find success in college?
Explore that question and share your own insights during a March 29 #NACACreads discussion of Gap to Great.
The discussion will kick off on Twitter at 9 p.m. (ET).
Still paying off your student loans?
Good news is on the horizon for school counselors and college admission professionals: Public service employees are eligible to have their debt wiped off the books starting this year under a new federal loan forgiveness program.
Applicants are urged to start the process now by filing paperwork with the federal government, according to a post on Homeroom, the Department of Education’s official blog.
Continue reading Loan Forgiveness Available for Counseling and Admission Professionals
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education has teamed up with a group of teens to promote Summer Nudging — a program that uses text messages to help high schoolers successfully navigate the transition to college.
Students from the High School for Recording Arts — a charter school located in St. Paul, Minnesota — recently created a music video to promote the free service.
Teens who sign up receive weekly text messages reminding them when key deadlines are approaching.
Continue reading Minnesota Seeks to Curb Summer Melt with Text Messages