This audit page is reflective of one section of a larger 360-degree audit.
Return to the Main PageRight now, college may feel more out of reach than ever for students. SAT and ACT tests have been canceled, in-person campus visits are out of the question, and FAFSA filing rates are down. Students may be doubting that your college or university is the right next step for them, particularly if there is still uncertainty around the mode of delivery for the fall semester.
Your institution must remain dedicated to promoting college access for all students—especially those who traditionally face the most barriers to college enrollment and completion. Reaching out to high school students, adjusting admissions policies, and easing the path to transfer can help ensure students are making informed decisions about their next steps, and reduce the administrative hurdles they face in successfully arriving on campus.
Do policies and partnerships at my institution encourage college access and college readiness?
Use this audit to evaluate the policies and practices in place at your institution to support historically underserved students. Please note, across the entire audit, “student success staff” refers to any individual charged with supporting students and may include advisors, financial aid staff, or student workers.
Consider which practices your institution has already adopted as you go through the statements below. If many of the statements are not reflective of your institution’s current practices, we recommend you focus your efforts in this area by downloading the PDF or sharing this page with colleagues to start implementing change on your campus.
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Quick wins
See EAB’s expert advice and learn more from Rowan University
Learn more about institutions waiving SAT and ACT requirements
Our admissions and registrar’s offices have coordinated to allow prospective transfer students to transfer all credits with a “pass” grade for terms affected by COVID-19.
Read EAB’s expert advice here and here; learn more about reducing barriers to transfer enrollment
Graduate programs have adjusted acceptance policies to allow for a “pass” grade in lieu of a letter grade for terms impacted by COVID-19.
Learn more from Harvard Medical School
Longer-term strategies
Read this blog post and learn more from the National Center for Fair & Open Testing
Learn more about reducing barriers to transfer preparation, guided pathways implementation, and UCF DirectConnect
Read EAB’s expert advice on developmental education reform
Our institution has developed a strategy to combat summer melt with text nudges or an AI-enabled chatbot.
Learn more about text nudges and Georgia State University’s chatbot
Our admissions team has adopted virtual campus tours and virtual information sessions as part of their regular student outreach strategy.
Tell your campus’ unique story with a virtual campus tour
Our admissions office partners with K-12 institutions to offer college access programs and working sessions on the college application and FAFSA submission processes for prospective high school students.
Our institution hosts parent-focused college access programs and tailored events to engage parents of first-generation students to demystify the enrollment process and foster a college-going culture.
Learn about supporting parents of first-generation students
To capture your responses and complete the implementation planning exercises, download the full 360-Degree Student Equity Audit.
This resource requires EAB partnership access to view.
Access the tool
Learn how you can get access to this resource as well as hands-on support from our experts through Strategic Advisory Services.
Learn More