A Note from the Senior Director

Dear friends, 

Welcome back! As a new school year begins, I hope you had the opportunity to rest, recharge, and celebrate the impact you made on learners over the past year. While summer often brings a change of pace, August signals a fresh start, and with it, a renewed opportunity to help learners explore their futures and take meaningful steps toward their postsecondary goals. 

As you prepare for the months ahead, now is the perfect time to revisit your plans for college and career readiness activities. Whether you're confirming event dates, reconnecting with community partners, updating resources, or brainstorming ways to engage learners from day one, the work you do now helps set the stage for a successful year. Small actions early in the semester can have a lasting impact on student confidence, awareness, and participation. 

We're also excited to begin gearing up for #WhyApply Day on September 18. This annual social media campaign is a chance to spark conversations about education after high school and to encourage learners to consider the possibilities ahead. This year, we'll be sharing new resources and tools to help schools and organizations participate, engage learners, and amplify the message that every learner deserves the opportunity to pursue their goals. We can't wait to celebrate with you. 

As college application season approaches, we're also eager to welcome new schools into the ACAC network. If your school has never hosted a college application event, there has never been a better time to get involved. Last year, more than 9,000 high schools across the country participated. These events help learners navigate the application process, build confidence, and access opportunities they may not have otherwise considered. The ACAC community is full of educators and practitioners ready to share ideas and support one another along the way. 

To learn more, I encourage you to join us on August 11 for our upcoming Why Host a College Application Event webinar. You'll hear directly from three School of Excellence winners as they share why they host college application events, how they engage learners, and the impact these efforts have had on their school communities. Whether you're looking for new ideas or considering hosting your first event, I hope you'll join us.
 

Here's to a successful start to the school year and another season of helping learners turn possibility into action. 

With gratitude,  
Lisa Sommer King, senior director

College GO!: Encouraging Indiana Students of All Ages to Explore College

By: Kate Marling, postsecondary transitions manager, Indiana Commission for Higher Education

Indiana encourages students at all grade levels to explore postsecondary and career pathways through its annual College GO! initiative, which runs from August through October. The campaign uses engaging classroom activities, a statewide participation pledge for K-12 schools, a strong social media presence, and a full week of waived college application fees to help students get excited about their future options. The goal is simple: remove barriers so educators can engage students meaningfully. 

A major hub for resources is LearnMoreIndiana.org, managed by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Along with providing important information about college exploration and state financial aid, resources include printable worksheets and activities for K-12 educators to use during College GO! Counselors have access to resources, like a bulletin board kit, draft announcements featuring college fun facts, and a social media toolkit, making it easy to integrate college exploration into the normal school day. Resources are tailored by age, offering hands-on, engaging activities for every grade level. Elementary students can design their own graduation cap and create a personalized diploma, while high school students focus on building a resume and exploring scholarship opportunities. 

At the start of College GO!, the commission emails a participation survey to K-12 counselors and educators across the state. Schools that pledge to participate receive direct access to printables, campaign reminders, and important dates such as #WhyApply Day and College Application Week. In 2025, 252 K-12 schools pledged to participate, reflecting strong statewide engagement. High schools can also opt in for consideration for ACAC’s School of Excellence Award. 

One of the most impactful elements of College GO! is College Application Week, when Indiana’s public, private, and proprietary institutions waive application fees to reduce financial barriers for seniors. In 2025, over 40 Indiana institutions participated. Many institutions already offer free applications year-round, while others pledge to waive application fees for the entire week or longer. To support this effort, Learn More Indiana provides schools with printable sign‑in sheets for application events and worksheets students can use to track their submissions. 

College Application Week begins with ACAC’s #WhyApply Day, which energizes students and encourages them to think about what inspires their educational goals. Schools, community partners, and higher education institutions across the state join in by posting photos with their #WhyApply posters and sharing the personal “why” that motivates them to pursue education after high school. Throughout the day, Learn More Indiana amplifies messages from commission staff and interns, creating energy and momentum. Ready‑to‑use social media templates and posters help schools and partners participate with ease. 

At the conclusion of the campaign, the commission collects important data from high schools that opted in for the School of Excellence Award. A short survey captures the number of students who applied to college, the total number of applications submitted, and details about each school’s College GO! activities. 

College GO! brings together educators, institutions, families, and communities to support Hoosier students as they explore their futures. While the campaign runs only a few months each year, most materials are timeless and can be used throughout the entire school year to promote college‑going. By providing accessible resources, reducing financial barriers, and building excitement around college and career opportunities, Indiana continues its commitment to ensuring every student sees postsecondary education as an achievable and meaningful next step. 

Finding the Fall Rhythm: Tools and Opportunities for Students

State campaign leaders come together to share strategies that strengthen student engagement and produce meaningful postsecondary outcomes.

By: Trevor McCray, Ph.D., program director, Center for Impact and Learning, ACT

In July, Lisa Sommer King, senior director of ACAC, and I had the opportunity to connect with colleagues and partners at the ACT Summit and National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) Annual Conference, where we left inspired and energized by the collective commitment to expanding postsecondary success for learners. Through conversations highlighting ACAC’s College Match Day initiative and the ACT Fee Waiver Program, we saw exciting opportunities for collaboration and impact emerging across the college access landscape.

As we begin the fall semester, we are excited to share resources, tools, and strategies designed to support state coordinators and counselors in their important work. We want to help you start the academic year with confidence, by providing practical tips and valuable information to enhance student outcomes and support their journey toward postsecondary achievement. Together, we can continue creating meaningful opportunities that empower learners to reach their educational goals.

Key resources for your fall rhythm

Finding your beat and connecting it to the sound of student success

1. Building a strong rhythm for student success starts with ensuring students and families are aware of the resources available to them. Promote the ACT Fee Waiver program around your campus, share peer voices about the program, encourage eligible students to access free preparation resources before registering for a National Test Date, and help them identify convenient testing locations to set them up for success on test day.
2. As counselor Melanie Lachance of Wake Early College of Health and Science in North Carolina reminds us, "Keep students at the center and actively work to remove barriers to opportunity. Remember that students and families often need to hear information multiple times and through multiple channels. Promote fee waiver availability consistently — in classrooms, future-planning conversations, school websites, family communications, and wherever students and families receive information."
3. As students search for their beat, help them keep the rhythm going with preparation and exploration. Widely share ACT study resources through your communication channels, classrooms, and high-traffic areas to build confidence and readiness. Then, connect students and families to MyJourney Events and ACT Navigator so they can explore postsecondary opportunities, discover pathways that align with their goals, and begin envisioning what's possible for their future.
4. As you continue to strengthen your college-going culture, we encourage schools and organizations already hosting ACAC events to build on their successes and continue creating meaningful opportunities for students. For those looking to expand their college-going programming, consider hosting an ACAC Senior Application Event in the fall to support seniors through the application process and an ACAC College Match Day for juniors to begin exploring postsecondary options in the spring. If you're interested in becoming a site, we'd love for you to complete the ACAC Site Interest Form.

These experiences help students connect preparation with action by introducing them to the concepts of college match and fit, exposing them to a range of opportunities, and helping them develop a clearer vision for their future. Together, these events can play an important role in reinforcing a culture where college and career planning becomes a regular part of the student experience. 

Carry the rhythm forward

To keep the momentum going throughout the year, subscribe to the ACT School Counselor Blog, where you'll find timely resources, best practices, and insights to support your college and career readiness efforts and strengthen student success at your site. Expand your playlist further as learners and families continue their postsecondary journey and development. Encourage them to explore trusted tools and resources such as College Essay Guy, Common App, Common BlackApp, Encourage app, and more, as they navigate the college-going process. Your dedication sets the tempo for learners’ achievement, and we thank you for the impact you make every day.

Webinar: Why Host a College Application Event: Insights from ACAC 2025 School of Excellence Awardees

Bringing a college application event to your school can feel like a big lift, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join us for our 2026 webinar featuring three past School of Excellence winners, recognized for their leadership and impact in advancing student success through their state campaigns. They’ll share real-world experiences, lessons learned, and practical strategies to help you confidently plan and implement your own event.

In this webinar, participants will learn:

• The importance of hosting a college application event.

• Innovative ways to reach learners.

• Strategies to remove barriers that prevent learners from applying to a postsecondary institution. 

Join us on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, by registering here, and don’t forget to sign up to be a 2026 host site.

Webinar: Counselor Week - Application Szn Kickoff

The National College Attainment Network is hosting a 2026 Application Szn webinar to kick off application season! Featuring a dynamic panel from Common App, the Common Black College Application, and Coalition for College, these three experts will be highlighting what's new with their respective platforms this year and are ready to help equip you and your students with the tools to get an early start on this application season.

Presenters:

•  Robert Mason, Founder, The Common Black College Application

• Michaela Alcorn, Manager, Counselor Engagement, Common App

• Derek Terrell, Director of Engagement, Coalition for College

August 11 at 2:00 pm ET. Register here.

End-of-Summer To-Do List

As summer winds down and the school year approaches, a little preparation now can help create a smoother start for both you and learners. Taking time to organize key resources, reconnect with partners, and plan engaging activities can set the tone for a year focused on exploration, opportunity, and learner success.

Before the first bell rings, consider:

• Reviewing FAFSA updates and key deadlines.

• Confirming college application event dates and logistics.

• Reconnecting with community and postsecondary partners.

• Updating scholarship lists and college-going resources.

• Planning engagement-focused first-week activities. These might include career interest polls, "Letter to My Future Self" exercises, College Major Bingo, postsecondary goal-setting activities, or alumni and student success spotlights.

The first few weeks of school are a powerful opportunity to build excitement and help learners begin thinking about their futures. Starting with intentional, student-centered activities can spark conversations that carry through the entire school year.

ACT My Journey Webinar Series

Looking for additional resources to support learners and families this fall? ACT's My Journey webinar series offers free sessions designed to help learners navigate college and career planning, financial aid, admissions, and more. 

Whether learners are just beginning to explore their options or preparing to apply, these webinars provide valuable guidance to help them take the next step with confidence. 

Explore upcoming sessions and register today. 

ACT Update: ACT is acquired by ETS

On June 30, ETS announced its acquisition of ACT, bringing together two of the world’s leading mission-driven assessment and measurement organizations. This exciting step combines our shared strengths to better address the complex challenges facing education and workforce development today. Together, ETS and ACT will deliver solutions to help individuals learn, demonstrate their skills, and transition into college and career with confidence. 

In the near term, ACT customers and partners will see no disruption to the products or services they rely on today. Looking ahead, this partnership gives ACT immediate access to ETS’s expertise in measurement and innovation, allowing us to serve you better.