Wednesday, March 19College Admissions News

Author: Editor

Rethinking the Admission Process 
8May By EditorNo Comments
Financial Aid

Rethinking the Admission Process 

Rethinking the Admission Process iStockWe’ve just passed the point in the higher education admission cycle where, traditionally, college applicants receive a flurry of decisions all at once—an increasingly stressful time for students that often coincides with spring break. It caused me to think about how we do business and I was encouraged to learn that, in conjunction with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), NACAC has launched a commission “to reimagine financial aid and college admission in the pursuit of racial equity in postsecondary education.” It is intended to rethink everything.And, indeed, it is time we do. The pandemic has highlighted many inequities in society and specifically within higher education. It is now incumbent upon all of us to s...
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How to take advantage of college admission changes during COVID-19
8May By EditorNo Comments
College Planning

How to take advantage of college admission changes during COVID-19

How to take advantage of college admission changes during COVID-19No matter when COVID-19 finally disappears, the college admission practices that changed due to the pandemic, will not completely disappear. In a recent webinar, I discussed how the pandemic has impacted college admissions in significant ways and how families can take advantage of these changes going forward. [embedded content] COVID-19 and College Admissions Here are some COVID-19 developments that you should know about: 1.  The vast majority of colleges and universities are now test-optional. That includes more than 90% of all highly selective and elite schools. 2. Because two-year-old tax returns are used when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the CSS Profile, many a family’s financial informatio...
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What is the University's Purpose?
8May By EditorNo Comments
Financial Aid

What is the University's Purpose?

What is the University's Purpose?The recent Chronicle of Higher Education/Deloitte report, “The College Business Model in a Crisis,” rekindled my concerns about the ultimate purposes of our enterprise and how these purposes can more effectively guide planning and operational decision-making.  The questions are no longer hypothetical, if indeed they ever were. Will problem-solving triggered by the hyper-disruptive COVID-19 event reaffirm core academic values or will it spawn new business models that, over time, will undermine them?The report provides useful insights on higher education’s business model and how to fix it, but institutional purposes are not addressed explicitly.  This blog describes the problem and introduces some emergent practical concepts and tools for balancing “miss...
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Court moves beyond the past in favouring English
8May By EditorNo Comments
Graduate Admissions

Court moves beyond the past in favouring English

Court moves beyond the past in favouring EnglishSOUTH AFRICA The South African Constitutional Court’s recent unanimous decision upholding Stellenbosch University’s policy favouring English is important in both substance and tone for its evolving narrative on language, race and historical wrongs.To fully understand what was at stake in the case, one has to go back to Stellenbosch’s beginnings. Achieving university status in 1918, the intent was to offer higher education to Afrikaans-speaking students. As time went on, Stellenbosch became an elite stronghold of Afrikaner tradition and a major force in preserving apartheid separatism.That history still haunts the institution even though, as of 2018, only 58.1% of the students were white and not all of them were Afrikaners.With the end of a...
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Researching whether a college will close
7May By EditorNo Comments
College Planning

Researching whether a college will close

Researching whether a college will closeFor most colleges and universities, competing for high school seniors has been a cutthroat Hunger Games exercise for many years. Before the pandemic hit, the majority of colleges were failing to meet their freshmen admission goals every year. At the start of the pandemic, some respected higher-ed observers predicted that many colleges would close by the summer, but that hasn’t happened. So far, most schools are still open for business. Whether this will last, remains an open question. Whatever happens, it makes sense to do your own research on whether colleges on your child’s list are financially stable. Resources to evaluate a college’s financial health To help you with that task, I’m sharing some new and old resources that attempt to divine how fin...
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In an Online World, Identifying Hidden Competitors is Critical
7May By EditorNo Comments
Online Colleges

In an Online World, Identifying Hidden Competitors is Critical

In an Online World, Identifying Hidden Competitors is Critical There is a good chance that you are losing potential students right from your own backyard. In the post-COVID world, online education is growing and the competition for student demand is intense.  Students in your markets may be going right out of your own proverbial backyard, and if you aren’t looking at the right data, you may not even know it, let alone correct for it. Accurate insights are critical for making the most efficient program decisions and investing in drawing your students closer to home.     When Evaluating Online Attendance, Traditional Data is Misleading   Traditional data sources such as IPEDS are out of date, and they do not show the true picture of competition in the online space.  There is better data out ...
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The State of Online Competition for Higher Education
7May By EditorNo Comments
Graduate Admissions

The State of Online Competition for Higher Education

The State of Online Competition for Higher Education   Years before the pandemic, online enrollment began its rise.  Using the most recent data from IPEDS through 2018 for on-campus fall enrollment, we discover a downward curve of three percent, year-over-year, since 2013.  In contrast, there is a three-percent growth in online enrollment.   Now, of course, we have a year of pandemic lessons learned behind us.  We begin to recognize the value of online programs in higher education, even while we continue to adjust to its turbulence.  If you're an on-campus institution, it's not an easy market.  Online institutions are gaining traction.  If we look at 2018 to 2019 enrollment below, we discover another problem.  Online-heavy institutions are successfully scaling up with student population...
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8 Tips For Freshman Year In College: Make The Best Out Of It!
7May By EditorNo Comments
College Planning

8 Tips For Freshman Year In College: Make The Best Out Of It!

8 Tips For Freshman Year In College: Make The Best Out Of It!The first day of college can be nerve wrecking for many students. So, today we are going to be giving out some of the best tips for freshman year in college that will help you out throughout the year. So, get ready to enter into a whole new world with endless possibilities and a vision of a bright future. Every student would have big hopes and dreams about their college. The journey so far would have been a memorable one. But hey, gear up to find much more in your college. Are you ready? Without further ado, let’s jump right into it! 8 Tips For Freshman Year in College Does the word college resonate with the word fear for you? Knock that fear and anxiety out of your system because you’re a freshman and have the potential to be an...
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Use this Valuable College Admission Checklist
7May By EditorNo Comments
Financial Aid

Use this Valuable College Admission Checklist

Use this Valuable College Admission ChecklistUsing  a college admission checklist is critical when your child is applying to colleges and universities. Allowing  a teenager to apply to any colleges without a solid game plan can be a financial and academic disaster. In fact, ignoring advance planning is one reason why ONE OUT OF THREE students who start at four-year public and private colleges and universities end up transferring somewhere else. What a terrible track record that is!! College Admission Checklist Here are five college check-list items that you and your child should accomplish before sending out applications.  If you’ve already submitted your applications, you can definitely still do some of these tasks: 1. Use net price calculators. If money is an issue, you should not allow ...
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Teacher: No, my lesson to 7th graders on ocean pollution is not indoctrination — even if a state legislator thinks so
7May By EditorNo Comments
College Rankings

Teacher: No, my lesson to 7th graders on ocean pollution is not indoctrination — even if a state legislator thinks so

Teacher: No, my lesson to 7th graders on ocean pollution is not indoctrination — even if a state legislator thinks soWe tend to come to teach our kids with everything with a twist to it. And I think transparency is one of the most important things we can do, and maybe what we’ve learned from this pandemic, through virtual, some of the parents actually seeing what their children are taught and how they’re taught. I saw in the Charlotte Observer the other week a English teacher was complaining because he had to do remote learning and in-person learning at the same time and it caused him to shorten his English class on environmental pollution. What you think about that? So I think ... this will help the parents going to the next grade be able to look and see what that teacher taught the year ...
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A Decade of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools!
7May By EditorNo Comments
College Planning

A Decade of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools!

A Decade of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools! On April 22, the U.S. Department of Education named the 2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS), District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees. Across the country, 27 schools, three early learning centers, five districts, and five postsecondary institutions are recognized for their innovative efforts to reduce environmental impacts and utility costs, improve health and wellness, and ensure effective education. The honorees were named from a pool of candidates nominated by 20 states. The 2021 cohort include 24 public schools – among them, five charter schools and one magnet school – as well as three nonpublic schools. More than half of the honorees are in communities where mo...
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An Improving Pandemic Outlook for Younger Americans
7May By EditorNo Comments
Online Colleges

An Improving Pandemic Outlook for Younger Americans

An Improving Pandemic Outlook for Younger Americans A series of vaccine developments and the loosening of restrictions amid an improving virus trajectory may foreshadow a welcome return to normalcy for many young Americans, just as summer vacation nears. By early next week, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue an emergency use authorization allowing the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to be used in children 12 to 15 years old, a major step ahead in the United States’ efforts to tackle Covid-19. Pfizer also expects to seek federal clearance in September to administer the vaccine to children age 2 to 11, the company said on Tuesday. Vaccinating children is key to raising the level of immunity in the population, experts say, and to bringing down the numbers of hospitaliz...
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Rising Seniors: Preparing for the Year Ahead
7May By EditorNo Comments
Graduate Admissions

Rising Seniors: Preparing for the Year Ahead

Rising Seniors: Preparing for the Year AheadWhat Rising Seniors Can Do to Prepare for the Year Ahead Many current juniors who will be rising seniors this summer are well aware that their final year of high school is exceptionally important. Students must juggle completing their personal statements, applying to colleges, and preparing for graduation, in addition to keeping up with friends and extracurriculars. While 12th grade is certainly a busy year, there are several steps rising seniors can take during summer break to set themselves up for success. Keep reading for our top tips for making the most of your final year of high school. Keep Track of Your To-Do List There’s no denying that your senior year of high school is a busy time for all students. Instead of getting stressed out, take...
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How Your Social Media Can Actually Help You Get Into College
6May By EditorNo Comments
College Planning

How Your Social Media Can Actually Help You Get Into College

How Your Social Media Can Actually Help You Get Into CollegeThe internet is an integral part of most people’s lives nowadays, with every thought being documented online. But how will your social media accounts affect your college applications? Not every school or admissions officer looks at applicants’ social media, but when they do, what you post can absolutely have a positive or negative effect on their perception of you. Lots is written about the negative, and some students (and more parents) are tempted to just take everything down and go dark. It’s no surprise with the rise of Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and dozens of other platforms that your social media now plays a role in public image. The question is, how can you leverage it? Clean up the bad. Comb through your social...
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Article on Fourth Grader in '60 Inspires Journalism Class
6May By EditorNo Comments
Online Colleges

Article on Fourth Grader in '60 Inspires Journalism Class

Article on Fourth Grader in '60 Inspires Journalism Class Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. Two years ago, on a soggy January day at the University of Oregon, Peter Laufer, a journalism professor, picked up a copy of The New York Times and presented his students with a reporting challenge. He read from a feature at the bottom of Page 2 that highlights an article from The Times’s archives each day. It covered the experience in early 1960 of a fourth grader in Roseburg, Ore., not far from the college. She had written to her congressman for the names of Russian schoolchildren with whom she and her classmates could be pen pals, but the State Department denied the request, fearing they would b...
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