IOWA CITY, Iowa — Perry High School has been named one of the 2022 School of Excellence award winners for its exemplary efforts at leading students toward postsecondary educational success, the American College Application Campaign (ACAC) announced Monday.
The ACAC is an arm of the ACT, formerly known as the American College Testing program. The ACAC aims to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families nationwide who pursue a college degree or other higher education credential.
For 2022 the ACAC selected the 23 School of Excellence awardees, including PHS, 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,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “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,” said ACAC Director Lisa King. “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 coordinators in every state and the District of Columbia to host college application events that reach students in their schools and communities and help them to apply to college. Activities of the 2022 School of Excellence winners, such as Perry High School, 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 College Application Campaign began in 2005.
