IOWA CITY, IOWA — The American College Application Campaign (ACAC), a national effort to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential, today announced its 2022 School of Excellence award winners, a group of exemplary schools across the nation that are helping students pursue postsecondary success.

ACAC selected the 23 School of Excellence awardees based on their demonstrated commitment to student success and for serving as exemplary models for their state’s college application campaign. This is the fourth year that ACAC has recognized outstanding schools.

“We know that the college application process is challenging to navigate, especially for first-generation college-goers and students from low-income families,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said. “The efforts from our American College Application Campaign collaborators and educators are making a substantial difference, helping high schoolers in communities across the country. Their efforts help inspire students to discover and fulfil their full potential.”

The 23 winning schools, listed below, were key contributors in helping ACAC reach the following national achievements in the 2022-23 school year, as reported by campaigns in 43 states:

• A total of 5,150 high schools hosted a College Application Campaign event.
• More than 290,000 seniors submitted at least one college application during events.
• Approximately 959,200 applications were submitted — doubling the 2021 campaign’s total.

“There could not be a more critical time for us all to support students and educators, and the remarkable reach of this year’s application campaigns demonstrates the value and strength of these collaborations,” ACAC Director Lisa King said. “As students continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic, we must do all we can to remove the barriers they tell us they have to accessing the education opportunities that are right for them. We are extremely proud of this year’s School of Excellence awardees, as they are true examples of how communities can work together to help students succeed.”

Each year, ACAC works with designated coordinators in every state and the District of Columbia to host college application events and reach students in their schools and communities, encouraging and helping them to apply to college. Activities at the 2022 School of Excellence winners included one-on-one mentoring, guest speakers, parents’ nights, and support for pursuing financial aid.

Nationally, 4.2 million students have been served by ACAC and 7.3 million applications have been submitted since the Campaign began in 2005.

About the American College Application Campaign

The American College Application Campaign (ACAC), a national initiative of ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning, is designed to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families who pursue a postsecondary degree. The purpose is to assist high school seniors as they navigate the college application and admissions process and ensure each participating student submits at least one admissions application. https://equityinlearning.act.org/acac/

About ACT
ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in more than 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research, and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career. Visit us at www.act.org.

Contact: Allie Ciaramella; allie.ciaramella@act.org