NACAC Research 

In this section:

• State of College Admission Report
• Standardized Testing in Admission
• NACAC Discussion Papers
• Research to Practice Briefs
• IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Reporting Guidelines
• Other NACAC Research Reports

State of College Admission

NACAC’s annual State of College Admission report is based on surveys of school counselors and colleges and universities nationwide. NACAC provides this report each year to highlight issues of concern to college bound students, their parents and the educators who serve them.

Members can download the State of College Admission 2011 report  online at no charge. Non-members can download the report for $25. Previous State of College Admission reports are also available. 

Standardized Testing in Admission

Resources for up-to-date information on the use of standardized tests in college admission.

Discussion Papers

NACAC’s Discussion Papers inform the association and the public about issues related to the college counseling and admission profession and the transition to college. The views and opinions expressed in these reports are solely those of the authors and not necessarily those of NACAC.

• Putting the College Admission "Arms Race" in Context: An Analysis of Recent Trends in College Admission and Their Effects on Institutional Policies and Practices. November, 2010. Dr. Don Hossler, Vice-Chancellor for Enrollment Services at Indiana University Bloomington.

• Preparation for College Admission Exams. May, 2009. Dr. Derek Briggs, Associate Professor of Quantitive Methods and Policy Analysis and Chair of the Research and Evaluation Methodology Program at the University of Colorado.

Additional Discussion Papers are also available for download.

Research to Practice Briefs

NACAC’s series of Research to Practice Briefs are short publications that focus on a specific topic of interest to the college counseling and admission professions and the transition to college. They are designed to provide professionals with best practice information and with ready-made tools to share with key decision makers who establish policies in their schools and colleges.

• Factors in the Admission Decision 
• Social Media: Considerations and Implications in College Admission. Based on "Reaching the Wired Generation: How Social Media is Changing College Admission," a discussion paper written for NACAC by Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes.
• Adolescent Development and the Transition to College: Psychological and Social Considerations. Based on "College Choice and Adolescent Development: Psychological and Social Implications of Early Admission," a discussion paper written for NACAC by Dr. Barbara Schneider.
• Secondary School Policies: Release of Student Disciplinary Information to Colleges 
• Class Rank
• Effective Counseling In Schools Increases College Access. Based primarily on "Counseling and College Counseling in America," a discussion paper written for NACAC by Patricia McDonough.
• The Changing Landscape of Higher Education: College Admission in Context. Based primarily on "The Changing Landscape of Higher Education: The Future of College Admission," a white paper written for NACAC by William G. Tierney.

IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Reporting Guidelines

Use the resources available on this page to assist your postsecondary institution or state agency with the transition to the new race and ethnicity reporting categories in the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Other NACAC Research Reports

• A View of the U.S. News & World Report Rankings of Undergraduate Institutions from the College Admission Counseling Perspective, May 2011
• NACAC Early Notification Study, September 2010

Additional Research Reports are available for download.