Fairness in the admissions process; it's the age old concern of students, families, school counselors, admissions counselors and colleges. How do we define merit? Does a student's testing prowess or high school GPA ‑ or any other single attribute ‑ entitle that student to a spot at his or her chosen college? Is demonstrated interest something that should be considered in the admission process? Should legacy be a factor in selecting a freshman class? Are there other ways to capture a student‑s “potential for success” at a particular college? Click here for an interesting discussion hitting upon these issues (and more) that are redefining the selection process at some institutions across the country.

Looking for a fun way to provide your high school students with the inspiration, information and planning support they need to pursue their higher education goals? Have them participate in our “I Am College Bound” Monthly Promo Contest which is open to students in grades 9 through 12.

This monthly contest is a great way for students to learn more about a particular topic concerning college planning or financial aid and allows students to enter a contest where, if they answer correctly, they will be entered into a random drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. Your school may already have students who have won a prize (Check our Winners' Circle)! To help remind students to participate, order our handy reminder postcards here.

Are your students looking for scholarship opportunities to help them pay for college? One NH high school senior will win a $1,000 scholarship and have the opportunity to give the keynote address at this year's Destination College event while sharing the stage with VIPs like New Hampshire's governor, the SNHU president and even the CEO of NHHEAF!

Please encourage your high school seniors to submit a 3‑5 minute speech discussing their path to college and navigating the college admissions process for consideration. The 19th annual statewide college planning event will take place on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). The scholarship winner must be available to present at this event.

Applications are due by Friday, February 23, 2018 at 5 p.m. EST.

The final numbers are in! College Application Week 2017 was a huge success! This year we worked with 1,356 high school seniors at 34 public high schools, helping them to submit 3,365 applications. This represents a 22.5% increase in the number of students helped, 35% more high schools served and 34% more applications file than in 2016! Approximately 80% of the applications filed were for NH colleges, saving the students over $100,000 in application fees as all NH colleges and universities waived their application fees for the program.

For a great article on Kearsarge Regional High School's event written by The Derryfield School's Brennan Barnard, and first time “I Am College Bound” volunteer, click here. For a general press release on the program, click here.

Plans are already underway for our 2018 event, when we hope to add an additional 5 to 7 public high schools across the state.

As we begin a New Year, the Center for College Planning (CCP) is pleased to present a variety of professional development opportunities for school counselors. For the winter and spring, please save the date to join us for:

1. College 101 A Workshop for the New School Counselor ‑ February 2, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
2. ACT^® Tools for New Hampshire Students & Schools ‑ Friday, March 16, 2018

• From 10 a.m. to 12 noon, we invite school counselors and curriculum developers for grades 6 ‑ 12 join us to review the ACT Test, test preparation resources for students and much more.
• At 12:30 p.m., we encourage Career & Technical Educators (CTE) to join the conversation as we move to a review of ACT's WorkKeys^® Suite, a comprehensive program that aligns, builds and certifies the skills needed for workplace success.

For complete session descriptions, as well as our online registration form, please visit our website.

The 19th Annual Destination College, New Hampshire's largest college planning event for high school juniors and parents, will take place on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at Southern New Hampshire University. Registration will open online at destinationcollege.org in mid‑ January. This is a free event, but each family member who will be attending must register. Posters will be sent to your office in early January to help promote the event with your families!

A special thank you to your school counseling colleagues ‑ Bill Hughen (Alvirne High School), Nicole Burke (Salem High School), and Maureen O'Dea (Londonderry High School) ‑ for joining this event's planning committee.

And another special note of thanks to many of your colleagues who have already confirmed they will be presenters at this year's event. If you would like to volunteer in some capacity at this year's event, please contact our event co‑chair Karen Collins.