Volume 7, Issue 6 – December 2023 

Director’s Note 

Dear friends, 

It’s been a busy fall with application season in full swing. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution designating November 2023 as National College Application Month, with leadership from Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). This signifies national recognition of the important work teachers, counselors, mentors, and families are doing to eliminate barriers to higher education. Read the resolution here.

The activities and programs planned throughout application season and observed in the proclamation are designed to encourage students to consider, research, and apply to college and for financial aid and are proven to help students move forward. These are the things you do every year, and they make a difference.

As we wind down the calendar year, it’s a great time to check in with the students who haven't submitted their applications yet. Whether they need additional resources, support, or reminders, help students maintain momentum so they don’t miss out on opportunities available to them after graduation.
 
We look forward to connecting with you in 2024.

Warmly,  
Lisa King, director 

Graduating Seniors Call for Greater Transparency About Admissions Timelines and Processes

By: Joyce Zhou-Yile Schnieders, Ph.D., research scientist II, Behavior & Skills Measurement

In recently released ACT research, high school seniors from the class of 2023 – who were in their first year of high school when the pandemic hit – say they felt academically prepared for the rigors of college, but they also needed more preparation for and insight into the college admissions process.

The results build on a recent ACT report. In the new survey, the researchers found that 86% of high school seniors in the “COVID cohort” felt very or mostly prepared to earn Bs or higher grades in most college courses. But students said they wished they had received more support to better prepare for certain aspects of college. As one student said, “I have to explain so many things to my friends who don’t have the information they need.”

ACT CEO Janet Godwin said, “Our research shows that college preparation activities help students feel more prepared, and that getting support in school makes a big difference. Integrating college preparation into the school day and making learning about the admissions process a normal part of high school will help more students find a path to and through college.”

Learn more about what students told us and access the full research brief.

Counselor Corner: The Importance of Affirmations

By: Danielle Reid-Filak, product content strategist, Encoura

As an educator or counselor, you play an essential role in shaping students’ academic and emotional development by supporting, guiding, and encouraging them through social, emotional, and academic challenges.

Whether you’re serving older students who are uncertain about their futures, or younger students trying to manage life and social transitions, affirmations can help students develop resilience and a growth mindset.

Affirmations are powerful statements that, when repeated regularly, have the potential to rewire the way students think about themselves and their abilities. Affirmations can profoundly affect students’ self-esteem, confidence, and overall well-being by shifting their thoughts from negative to positive and motivating action when they feel discouraged.

Encouraging students to use statements such as “I can overcome challenges” and “I am capable of learning and growing” helps them navigate obstacles with determination and confidence.

Finding creative ways to share affirmations with your students can inspire them to push through to the end of the semester, reignite motivation for the coming spring, and overcome obstacles throughout their academic journeys.

Here are a few affirmations to try and ways to make affirmations visible in your community.

Email sign-offs:

• You have the power and ability to push through.
• Today is going to be amazing.
• You have a lot of people on your team. I’m one of them.
• You’re talented and capable.

 Morning announcements:

• You are resilient and can overcome obstacles.
• Improvement takes hard work. You can do it!
• You are in control of your growth and success.
• Believe in your ability to adapt and learn.

 Bulletin boards:

• Trust in your ability to learn new skills and knowledge.
• You are constantly improving and evolving.
• Embrace the learning journey and keep growing your skills.
• Feed your curiosity and keep leveling up your talents.
• Progress, not perfection.

 Post-it notes/index cards/printouts for students to take after they visit you:

• Believe in the power of yet. Keep at it, and you'll get it!
• Don’t compare your first try to someone else’s best try.
• Mistakes are an opportunity to learn and get better.

Students who sign up for Encourage will receive affirmations via email, push notifications, and in-app activities designed to help them feel empowered, exercise their growth mindset potential, and take control of planning their futures.

Students can use Encourage independently or alongside their educators. Our comprehensive in-school college and career planning program is free and allows you to connect with students on the Encourage platform through interactive reports. These reports and dashboards provide clear data visualizations of each student’s college plans and trends across your school, state, and the nation. To start your journey with our free program, visit myOptions Encourage for Educators.

Learning and Student Resources

myOptions Encourage/ASCA Learning Series

• Student Voice: The Importance of School-Based College Preparation Supports
  
  
• Building School-Based College Preparation Supports for Students: Hosting a College Application Event
  
  
• Building School-Based College Preparation Supports for Students: Hosting a FAFSA Completion Event

 Watch Recordings

The Power of Human-Centered Design: How Effective Leaders Use Human Values to Fuel Decision Making
Watch Recording

College and Career Planning Resources
Learn more

Reading Lists

Whether you’re looking for something to read during some downtime over the holidays or adding titles to your future reading list, here are a few recommendations from ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning’s team.

1. “Broken: How Our Social Systems are Failing Us and How We Can Fix Them” by Paul LeBlanc
2. “Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities” by Susie Wise
3. “Equity by Design: Delivering on the Power and Promise of UDL (Universal Design Learn for Learning)” by Mirko Chardin and Katie R. Novak
4. “Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis” by Robert D. Putnam
5. “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together” by Heather McGhee

Have others you found insightful? Please share them with us. 

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Trends

While higher education enrollment has seen challenges over the past few years, the trends of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center show several significant takeaways. As of September 2023, undergraduate enrollment has grown for the first time since the pandemic. Black, Latinx, and Asian students accounted for most of the enrollment growth this fall. Among traditional-age undergraduates, enrollment is up across all neighborhood income levels. However, freshman enrollment declined by 3.6%; the lowest it has been since 2021. 

Read the full High School Benchmarks Report for more insights. 

Better FAFSA

The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the Better FAFSA, should be available soon, and students may need help filling out the online form to avoid missing important deadlines. In addition, many students who are uncertain or unclear about their future plans may benefit from additional follow up to help them finish their applications or consider alternative options that may be a good fit for them.

Visit NCAN for the most up to date information and tools and resources to support students when it’s released.