ACT’s American College Application Campaign (ACAC) announced its sixth annual School of Excellence Awards, presented to 26 outstanding schools in the U.S. that are increasing opportunities for students to achieve postsecondary success.
Parsons High School was among the 26, chosen as the state of Kansas winner for their Apply Kansas Event.
"Each year, we are inspired by the dedication of schools across the country in helping students take the next step toward their postsecondary goals, and this year is no exception," ACT CEO Janet Godwin said. "These schools are making the college application process more accessible and less intimidating, ensuring that more students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to pursue higher education. We are honored to celebrate their commitment to student success.”
ACAC is a national effort to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential.
Applying for college can be one of the most intimidating parts of a student’s high school education. This year’s recognized schools worked with high school seniors to help them better understand the college admission process through a series of weeklong to month long events, ultimately empowering them to complete an application.
“I am thrilled that Parsons High School was chosen as the state of Kansas' 2025 American College Application Campaign School of Excellence Winner,” PHS Academic Advisor Kylie Lucas said. “PHS has a long history of ensuring post-secondary success for its students and that begins long before my time as a teacher, or even as a student. Applying for college can be an intimidating process, so I am very thankful to all of my colleagues and to the community members that helped with the "Apply Kansas" event last October. It provided a structured time and valuable resources to help students through the college application process.”
Under PHS Counselor Tabitha Routh's leadership, PHS was a pilot school for "Apply Kansas" nearly a decade ago, Lucas explained.
“There’s something that’s so rewarding about seeing our state coordinators take part in helping students navigate the admission process,” ACAC Director Lisa King said. “Students feel more confident and empowered to apply to college, and thanks to initiatives like the American College Application Campaign, it all serves as a reminder of the impact we can have.”
Every year, ACAC works with coordinators in nearly every state and the District of Columbia to host college application events and reach students in their schools and communities, encouraging them to apply to college. Activities in 2024 included career days and fairs, collegiate tailgates, financial aid workshops, and field trips to colleges, where students could take campus tours.
“This annual event, along with others (at PHS) such as FAFSA Completion Night and Senior Signing Day, as well as activities planned through the student's Individual Plan of Study, ensure students are both prepared for and successful in their post-secondary endeavors,” Lucas said. At this year's ‘Apply Kansas’ event, 80 PHS seniors participated in applying to at least one college, technical/trade school, or continuing education program based upon the student's career goals, Lucas said. While it is still early for some to have made a decision, many colleges require application deadlines, so setting the students up with options is beneficial.
The ACAC said schools chosen to receive the awards demonstrated a strong commitment to student success and served as outstanding models for their state’s college application campaign. The 26 winning schools were key contributors to this year’s successes:
5,854 high schools hosted a College Application Campaign event.
More than 477,000 seniors submitted at least one college application during events, an increase of more than 10,000 compared to last year.
Students submitted a total of 1,316,688 applications.
Nationally, the campaign has served nearly 5.17 million students who have submitted more than 10 million applications since 2005.