As revenue uncertainties, an increased questioning of the value of higher education, and a decrease in the number of students graduating from high school have created a challenging landscape for higher education leaders, never has it been so important for colleges and universities to think like a business in order to attract and enroll enough…

Parents and guardians often have more fear than their students about the journey off to college. They are unsure about fit, cost and value, distance, health and safety, an empty nest, and more. COVID-19 has added even more factors into the mix. The pandemic drastically changed the way many colleges deliver instruction, as well as the ways students…

Like most National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) affiliates, the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC) earns most of its revenue from a trifecta of professional development events: Share, Learn, Connect (SLC) sessions, college fairs, and an annual conference. Last summer when the WACAC executive board…

There are a growing number of creative new ways that college admission professionals are reaching students and their families, but often, experts say, the biggest payoff can come from the simplest technique: building relationships. And those relationships may extend beyond the short-lived connections to the student who is inquiring or enrolling,…

For many students struggling through high school closures and rapid changes to their postsecondary plans, there has been one overriding theme during the last six months: uncertainty. Instead of savoring familiar traditions and farewells, they faced months of upheaval that tossed around every aspect of their lives during a period that should have…

While many high schools reproduce social inequalities in college access, little is known about the schools that successfully reduce them. To this end, Gorana Ilic and James E. Rosenbaum studied an urban high school that expressed a strong commitment to supporting all students' college applications. In this article, they describe the organizational…

Packed within the big bundle of worries that high school students and their parents bring to the college admission process, the bulkiest item is often how they will pay for it. And too often, experts say, it is not about lacking money, but lacking information. There is often a lot of confusion about college costs, and while it might simply…

Experts say colleges and universities should do more of to give prospective students a more authentic experience as opposed to just presenting them with brochures filled with pictures of happy-looking students. Experts also say now--amid the spirited discussions and debates about race, privilege, and inequality on campus--is a good time for…

Applicants from high-performing high schools routinely enter the college admission process overscheduled and overwhelmed. Stress and sleep-deprivation have reached epidemic proportions at competitive high schools, while rates of depression and anxiety among US teens and young adults have skyrocketed. For this generation of students, the stakes…

From calls to close borders to intolerance for non-citizens, growing nationalism within the US and other countries threatens the global nature of higher education. How are college counselors advising students in this new political climate? And are there differences depending on where counselors reside in the world? "The Journal" asked…

Whether it's your first day or first year on the job as an admission counselor at a university or college, you may be struggling with balancing the demands of your job with family needs, positioning yourself for advancement, or finding valuable programs that offer growth opportunities. Every generation of admission counselors at higher education…

School counselors are a primary source of college and career information for students and families, including students interested in pursuing a degree in fine arts. The admission process to fine arts programs can be complex and involve multiple steps; however, providing this guidance is clearly in line with the role of school counselor, as defined…

Far too often, today's college students find themselves wandering through their academic experiences, choosing from a dizzying array of majors, courses, and out-of-classroom learning experiences. And while this smorgasbord of options is often portrayed as beneficial to the student experience, more than a decade of research suggests that too many…

Day and night the locals chatter. They counsel and console, bicker and rant. Their questions are endless. Though often hopeful, they never stop pounding the drums of worry. This is College Confidential, a vast virtual realm where visitors can find the best and worst of human nature. Here, in moderated discussion forums, people help strangers. They…

Education leaders have long worried that many high school students don't get adequate help in choosing a college. Nationwide, there is an average of one full-time guidance counselor per 315 public high school students, according to a 2003 report by the National Center for Education Statistics. And counselors don't necessarily spend much time…