What We Learned at This Year’s National Conference for Admissions Professionals

I, along with fellow Village coaches Meredith and Suzi, just got back from the annual NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counselors) conference last week. Thousands of admissions officers, high school counselors, and independent counselors from all over the world converged at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. 

We kicked NACAC off with a big “Howdy!” from Texas at Rice University where the wine was flowing and food was delectable (and provided by the top chefs in Houston). The evening ended with a spectacular musical drone light show that proved once again that everything is, in fact, bigger in Texas. 

So yes, NACAC is a big party for admissions officers, but it’s also an opportunity to learn about national trends in college admissions, hone our craft, and collaborate and learn from one another. While there are plenty of cocktail receptions, our days were filled with educational sessions. Here are the big takeaways we’d like to share with you: 

1. Equity and inclusion in admissions work is of the utmost importance. This isn’t a new concept by any means, but it’s a theme that dominated several sessions this year. From how to make the Common Application more equitable by offering an alternative to the personal statement (because families with means can hire writing coaches) to culturally responsive counseling practices to admissions policies like test-optional/test-free that open the door to applications from underserved students. 

2. Speaking of test-optional, aside from a few outliers (I’m looking at you, MIT and Georgetown), most colleges are continuing their test-optional pilot programs for the next few application cycles. If the UC system is an indicator of what test-blind/test-optional policies can do for a college’s ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, I predict it’s here to stay. UC increased its enrollment from underrepresented groups (Black and Latinx) by over 3,000 students in 2021 after it implemented test-blind admissions. Other colleges are experiencing a similar effect. The jury is still out - a few more years of data and analysis will undoubtedly seal the deal. Here’s a list of all the college with test-optional policies.

3. There was also a lot of buzz about the future of affirmative action because of the upcoming lawsuits against Harvard and UNC. Advocates for affirmative action (which includes many admissions professionals) are understandably concerned about what it could mean for the admissions process if students were unable to disclose their ethnic backgrounds. Examples that came up during one of the sessions included: Would a white student be able to talk about their service work with the National Charity League, while a black student could not about their service work at their local AME church? Just how far could a ruling against race-based admissions go?

I should also mention that Village joined the Character Collaborative at NACAC this year. We’re joining colleges like NYU, Cornell, USC, and Colgate because we want to help shape the conversation around character in college admissions. 

The NACAC conference is both exhilarating and exhausting. Between the guest speakers (this year, Billy Porter took the mainstage), sessions, exhibitors, and parties - attendees are going non-stop from day to night. But it’s worth it, to ensure that our team is up-to-date on the latest policies and trends so that we can continue offering top notch advice to our students. 

If you need help with the college process, get in touch with one of our expert coaches.