Making a Big Deal of College Signing Day

For years, the days on which high school athletes have committed to various colleges have been covered by the press as a big deal. Now government, school and college officials are trying to do the same for nonathletes, with May 1 as College Signing Day. Most students going to college don't wait until May 1 to make their intentions known, but that is the historic deadline for responding to an admissions offer. By making May 1 a big deal, educators and others hope to encourage high school juniors (and those much younger) to start thinking about college and planning to apply. Some of the activities:

• First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at an event Friday at Wayne State University.
• At George Washington University, about 100 high school seniors from Washington high schools participated in a ceremony in which they announced their college choices, The Washington Post reported.
• At a Mississippi high school, a teacher organized a ceremony at which seniors ran to tables, cheered on by fellow students and family members, with banners from the college they would be attending, The Clarion-Ledger reported.
• Longview High School, in Texas, held its first signing ceremony for nonathletes, The Longview News-Journal reported.
• The College Board announced a Pledge Your Collegiance contest in which students are encouraged to make videos announcing their choices, with four winners receiving $1,500 each. See video below.