Philip Barbour High School named 2024 School of Excellence by ACT’s American College Application Campaign
Philippi high school is one of 26 U.S. schools recognized for outstanding effort in helping students apply for college
PHILIPPI, WEST VIRGINIA — ACT’s American College Application Campaign (ACAC) named Philip Barbour High School as a 2024 School of Excellence as part of the College for West Virginia (CFWV) 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. Philip Barbour High School is one of 26 outstanding schools being recognized nationwide.
“This recognition is a testament to our commitment to helping students pursue a postsecondary degree or other higher education credential,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education. “We are incredibly pleased to see Philip Barbour bring home this award. The faculty and staff have worked incredibly hard to increase their college-going rate and have shown fierce dedication to their students’ success.”
CFWV coordinates three annual college-planning milestones to help students in West Virginia plan their pathway to education or training beyond high school. Philip Barbour High School fosters a college-going culture within their school through participation in these milestone events as well as creating an overarching culture of student success within their school. Because of this, Philip Barbour has seen an increase in their college going rate by 11 percentage points over the last few years.
This year’s winning schools were key contributors to the national campaign’s success, as reported by the participating state campaigns:
- Philip Barbour High School is among 5,854 participating schools that hosted a college application event last fall.
- More than 477,000 seniors submitted at least one college application during events, an increase of more than 10,000 more seniors compared to 2023.
- Students submitted a total of 1,316,688 applications.
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 students to help them better understand the process, ultimately empowering them to complete an application.
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.
“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.”
Nationally, the campaign has served nearly 5.17 million students who have submitted more than 10 million applications since 2005. This is the sixth year that ACAC has recognized outstanding schools.
For more information, visit https://impactandlearning.act.org.
To learn more about College for West Virginia, visit CFWV.com.
About College for West Virginia (CFWV)
College for West Virginia (CFWV) provides free resource that educators and students can use to expand college and career advising. CFWV’s tools, articles, and college-ready initiatives help guide students to career and college pathways. CFWV.com is West Virginia’s free one-stop resource for college and career information in the Mountain State.
About the American College Application Campaign
The American College Application Campaign (ACAC), a national initiative of ACT’s Center for Impact and Learning, is designed to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities 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://impactandlearning.act.org
About ACT
ACT is transforming college and career readiness pathways so that everyone can discover and fulfill their potential. Grounded in more than 65 years of research, ACT’s learning resources, assessments, research, and work-ready credentials are trusted by students, job seekers, educators, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world to help people achieve their education and career goals at every stage of life. Visit us at https://www.act.org.