In the world of college admissions, May 1 has historically loomed large as the deadline by which students had to declare their college choice (due to institutional deadlines). Thanks to Better Make Room and Reach Higher,
May 1 has also become a day to recognize students who are making a commitment to a post-high school path.
For the second year in a row, many College Signing Day (or College Decision Day) celebrations will be held virtually, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We spoke with two NCAN member organizations about their plans for celebrating students on May 1
(and beyond).
We'd like to acknowledge that while some students are in a position to commit to a college by May 1, and that's great, not everyone can finalize their postsecondary plans by that time. It's important for students to make an informed decision. COVID has
created a lot of uncertainty and disruption for students, and unanswered questions about financial aid, whether classes will be in-person or online in the fall, etc., may mean that some students need more time to make a college decision.
Detroit College Access Network
DCAN is planning a social media campaign for a citywide Detroit Decision Day this year. The organization is in the process of collecting videos from students across the city revealing their choice of college or career training program. DCAN is also collecting
videos from higher education institutions and other special guests congratulating students for beginning their next journey to and through college.
The organization is sharing tips and words of encouragement on making that final decision for 15 days leading up to the final reveal on social media using the hashtags #DetroitDecisionDay, #CollegeBoundDetroit, and #DDD2021.
DCAN will also host several events to support seniors through the summer (and reduce melt). These events are:
Senior Admitted Days: This is a partnership with higher education institutions to do a high school to college handoff on complete steps to enrollment. Each student who attends will receive a free swag box!
Detroit Onsite Admission Days: Students will receive an admitted decision on the day of the event with our Detroit Promise partner schools. They will also receive a full-ride scholarship.
For more information about DCAN’s Decision Day plans, please see their digital media toolkit.
Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority
KHEAA will be sponsoring virtual Decision Day efforts through its social media platforms. Below is an outline of the organization's planned events:
Twitter (High Schools)
KHEAA would love to see Kentucky high schools supporting their students’ decisions on social media. They are asking schools to develop infographics that have each of their students’ 2021 decisions (college, workforce, and military). KHEAA will be using
two hashtags: #KyDecision2021 and #BetterMakeRoom.
Instagram (Students)
KHEAA Outreach will also be sponsoring a video/photo competition for Decision Day 2021. Students will use the hashtag #KYDecisionDay when they post their entries. There will be two prizes, one for a video and one for a photo. Each winner will receive
a $50 gift card from KHEAA. The winners will be picked randomly from the entries.
Facebook (KHEAA Outreach)
KHEAA Outreach will be using Facebook to talk about Decision Day. On April 30 and May 3, KHEAA Outreach will be going live to talk about admissions, paying for college, making a college decision, and the senior exit.
YouTube
KHEAA’s YouTube vlogger will be developing a video on her college decision.
Here is a link to the KHEAA toolkit that digs deeper into the what, when, where, and how. We encourage Kentucky-based NCAN members to get involved!
Rachel D’Alio, office and events associate, DCAN, and Summer Gortney, assistant director of outreach services, KHEAA, contributed to this blog post.
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