2018 Annual Conference

This session will help you imagine Student Search as more than a "one and done" event in your recruitment cycle. If you are moving into a true Strategic Enrollment Management division, this is for you. Stories and examples will be shared about builing search and how to use the data.

Post-secondary Admission Officers

How do you handle the phone calls from the student after one week in college "I think I need to transfer"?  Or "How do I get credit for courses taken"?  Professionals on both sides of the desk talk the "logistics" of transitioning with credit from other institutions.

All

Identify your power and use your influence towards:

• Maximizing the impact of allyship;
• Raising awareness of systemic bias, fragility, and oppression;
• Building relationships by taking time to be soulfully strategic to get people on your side;
• Acknowledging and alleviating frustration of those fatigued and threatened by diversity and inclusion work.

All

Many institutions struggle with the challenge of achieving diversity in the absence of Affirmative Action. UF's Office of Admissions conducted a pilot for scholarship review using the Applications Quest tool, producing holistically diverse recommendations in a fraction of the time with the same academic achievement levels as a multi-person committee.

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Laissez les bon temps lire!  College Counseling and Admission colleagues reveal a book that changed their lives and careers, and why.  Join the literary adventure, share your own, and remind us all why reading is life.

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations
All

Chipotle and Zappos are outliers. Beyond economic success, these companies have pushed the boundaries of shaping organizational culture. This session will take an in depth look at the principles that guide these two cultural giants and apply those tenets, also found in Mardi Gras, to creating an incredible campus visit. 

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Come learn about this new model for application review, why universities are adopting it and how it impacts admission staff and application review. Two universities that have adopted CBE will discuss their specific versions of the model and how they adapted to the change.

All

Meeting as Admission Counselors, 20 years later they are Directors of Admission facing challenges of 21^st Century Enrollment Management. They will share lessons learned in leadership & the 5% duties as assigned. Natural disasters & cultural and geographic changes? No problem! They've climbed the ladder as friends & colleagues! 

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Admissions work can feel like searching-buying-selling a home. Since admissions work is often a field we enter based on interest/experience rather than education, how does one decide to shape a career? Learn how the "Wish Lists" of a "Lifer, "Newbie" and "Desk-Changer" led them to "Love it or Leave it."​

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations
All

Learn how one school gives students a sense of control over the college process by integrating the FSU Career Center’s CASVE Decision-Making Cycle into a 9-12 college counseling curriculum. Case studies and other activities help empower and de-stress students through this step-by-step decision-making model.

All Secondary School Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

ED rates are on the rise. Affirmative action in admissions is in question. And low-income students lack access to admissions representatives. Beyond these issues, marginalized students must navigate hidden barriers in the college process. This panel will identify these barriers and explore opportunities to empower students toward overcoming these obstacles.

All Secondary School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers

We've all heard, "get involved." Yet, like college freshmen, we don't always know how, or perhaps you tried, but was not selected.  Attend this session and learn about SACAC's PD programs, how to apply for faculty positions or host institutions, and even an inside look at how selections are made! 

All

Student stress in our schools seems to increase yearly.  Is it poor resilience? College pressures? Social media? All of the above? Whatever the source, today's adolescents report widespread anxiety and stress. We've decided to address our students' ebbing psychological well-being with deliberate programming and invite you to join the discussion. 

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations
All

In an exciting pilot project, high school counselors and college admission counselors from both public and private high schools and colleges, shadowed each other for a day during the busiest times of the year. Everyone was educated and inspired! Use our model to launch your own empowering professional development experience.

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All

Presently it has become increasingly more difficult for the personal to remain separate from the professional. We will discuss:

* Engaging in productive/professional conversations when our identities are attacked

* Addressing administrative policies that conflict with our identities/truth

* Responsibility re:teaching colleagues social responsiblity 

* Common triggers/micro-aggressions and addressing aggressors

 

All

Attendees will learn how to champion a community college education as a way to receive a four year college degree with less student loan debt. Attendees will be educated on state and federal student aid programs as well as creating a transfer plan for their students.

Secondary Public School Counselors
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

The Cambridge program is used by more than 1 million learners in over 160 countries and 11,000 schools. Learn how the Metro Nashville School District has used the Cambridge curriculum to grow its college-going rate, and hear how the curriculum has prepared students for success at universities. 

All Secondary School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers
Independent Counselors
All

Colleges and universities strive to enroll students who will graduate from their institutions. Enrollment professionals are charged to consider not only whether the students we admit will enroll, but whether they are most likely to succeed.  How can we evaluate “best fit” in the admissions process to enhance retention efforts? 

All

Joining 5 English university representatives to learn more about:

- The UCAS Application Process and University Entry Requirements

- Preparing a student to write their UCAS personal statement

- Writing a counsellor/teacher reference letter

- UK medical schools: overview, applications and admissions

- Student athletic programmes and scholarships

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

Students with disabilities face unique social, academic, and institutional challenges during the admissions process. In this engaging panel discussion, you will learn from counselors' professional and personal experiences some of  the fears, frustrations, successes and setbacks these students encounter and what we as professionals can do to support them.

All

Don't let your ninth and tenth graders get lost in the shuffle! Specialized programming helps ensure that your younger students are on the right track. This session shares ways to approach programming from a variety of perspectives and ways to manage common friction points.

Secondary Independent School Counselors

Hurricanes, on-campus tragedies, implications of political decisions and rhetoric, even enrollment management missteps made headlines this year. Hear from three professionals whose own lives, campuses and institutions have been affected by disaster. Learn how to respond not react; demonstrate empathy in emergency; and to consider all constituencies in uncertainty.

All

The way we communicate with students during the college process has profound effects on their perception of themselves and managing stress during this journey. Join us for a discussion on best practices, highlighting ways to shift our vocabulary to build stronger relationships with students.

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

The is a round table discussion session focusing on admissions professionals with anywhere from 1-10 years of experience in the field. This sessions will be used to help those who do not know how to properly navigate the ladder of Admissions and bring up important conversations with his/her boss.

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Join SACAC  SPGP co-chairs and seasoned admissions professionals for an interactive discussion of the new code of ethics and professional practice adopted at the 2017 NACAC legislative session.  The session will highlight new aspects of the document as well address what has not changed and how it impacts admissions professionals. 

All

This session will provide information that any academic advisor, incoming freshmen, or parent can utilize.  Learn from First-Year teachers how to best prepare students for their college experience.  Topics covered are: college preparation, success on campus, success in the classroom, and resources to aid the college process.   

 

 

All

Are you recruiting community college students the same way you recruit high school seniors? Stop! Are you recruiting community college students? Start! Learn more about CC transfers, and the strategies one mid-sized state institution is using to woo more local transfers their way.

Post-secondary Admission Officers

In today's hyper-competive market it is tempting to try and be everything to everyone. Come learn about the importance of remaining true to university identity and mission, and how branding can affect everything from enrollment efforts and matching to institutional financial health and college access initiatives.

All

With the recently legislative changes involving HBCUs, and with SACAC having the most HBCUs in their region, do we really know the purpose of HBCUs? When should a college counselor recommend that a student apply to an HBCU?Let's not only learn the history of HBCUs but also the future.​

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

Do you have the desire for professional guidance from others more experienced in the field? Or, maybe you have been in the field for a while and willing to guide others. If so, then this is the session for you! Come mix, mingle, and meet! All are welcome!

 

All

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is celebrating 30 years of Refreshing Education. Join the Selection and Recruitment Manager and a Coke Scholar Alumnus to learn about the impact of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program and ways for your students to be more successful in the applicaiton process. 

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

Is your goal to be an admission “lifer”? Do you have your sights set on the SAIL program? After training, managing and mentoring teams for 27+ years, hear some great advice about micro and macro office behaviors that send a message to management that you are ready for a promotion.

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Technology is a beautiful thing...when it works!  But, how should it work?  How can technology help improve your workflow?  Come learn more about how other college counselors are using Slack, YouCanBookMe, Zoom, and (of course) Google to improve communications with students, collaborate with colleagues, and educate parents.

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors

High demand have you behind and scrambling for time? Hear how Mississippi State maximizes daily campus visits while giving prospective students an individualized tour experience. Two different colleges with different campus visit procedures discuss how MSU collaborated across campus to offer customized visits without turning away prospective students, despite demand.  

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Join four self-proclaimed ambiverts as they discuss counseling the introvert.  We'll share best practices for counseling the introvert as well as tips and tricks for counselors who are writing recommendations to support introverted students. We’ll also discuss ways counselors can recharge their batteries in the fast-paced field of admission.

All Secondary School Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

Early admission for Professional Programs/Health Science Programs can be highly competitive for high school students. Join us as we share insight, from a post-secondary perspective, about how to help your students navigate applying for early acceptance programs. We will discuss questions to ask, factors to consider and application tips.

 

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

Educators in North Carolina are meeting monthly with local business and government leaders to create work-based learning opportunities for students. We’ll discuss connecting the classroom to real life through short-term jobs, apprenticeships, and internships. We’ll also share how early experiential education impacts goal-setting and college planning for high school students.

All Secondary School Counselors
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

This session will reflect on Dr. Harper's comments from his opening session address at NACAC and challenge us all, particularly White professionals, to commit ourselves to access and equity in college admissions. Panelists will share personal challenges and successes, and invite the voices of all into this critically important dialogue.

All

Do you have big goals for your team and students?  Learn tips and tricks for managing your team into the highest productivity.  Increase your students' application completion, matriculation, and college graduation rates, while minimizing the financial burden.  Let us help you grow your team in all of these areas.  

Secondary Public School Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

Increasingly US students are applying to international institutions, attracted by world-class universities and competitive tuition. However students and parents still express reservations about safety, employability, and the reality of international education. Join international universities for a discussion of these and other concerns and how to address them with families.  

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Independent Counselors

How does disciplinary history, often required in college applications, influence the admission review? What are high school counselors required to report? How are disciplinary reports read and considered? How can we best counsel students and families through this process? Join us as we explore these questions, case studies, and more.

All

The transition to a regional admissions professional has its perks and pressures. How do you balance being a road warrior, data reporting, programming and your personal life existing right across the hall from your office? Come learn from an Aggie, Bearcat, Redhawk and two Tigers how to manage it all!

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Get an overview of the current state of public school counseling. Hear our tips, our concerns, and how we survive. Let's trade ideas and help make life easier for all of us! 

Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations
All

In the SACAC region there are over 200 secondary schools offering one or more IB Programs. The International Baccalaureate prepares students for higher education in a globalized society.

What is the IB?
Where is it taught?
How are the courses evaluated and assessed?
Does the IB prepare students for college?

 

All

This talk-show inspired session was designed to address hot topics by diving into a discussion about navigating added responsibilities and difficult conversations as a POC in independent schools. We will share best practices to support our students, colleagues and communities. Stick around for a chance to be on The Real!

All

Status as a first-generation college attendee is just one example of "invisible diversity" within our communities.  In pursuing then persisting through schools, what obstacles might exist for students of this background?  For those who now work in college admissions and counseling, how does "being first" continue to inform our work?

All

So you've finally made it over that forewarned 2-3 year hump in admissions. Are you going to stay in higher ed forever? Do you want to keep recruiting? Are you going to get your master's? Come hear our panel of “wisdom” review the trials and triumphs of the emerging admissions professional.

All

College enrollment doesn't stop with acceptance. Learn how you can support students and families in overcoming the often daunting college enrollment process so that students don't just get into college but matriculate and persist through it. We will offer valuable systems that will build your expertise and prevent summer melt.

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations
All

Many of us approach our professional roles unaware of the unconscious decisions we make that impact how we interact with our colleagues and how we advocate for our students. Come check your privilege with 3 panelists who worked together and learned from one another. Open minds strongly encouraged!

All

Do you know much about education policy on a state, regional or national level?  This session will provide insight on all levels of educational policymaking. Government Relations will share what’s happening in our member states and the national level.  Getting involved is a great way to "lean" into SACAC's mission.

All

This session will discuss how diverse institutions such as public, private and HBCU’s use creativity when it comes to recruitment of diverse students from multicultural backgrounds. We will examine recruitment trends when it comes to recruiting diverse students and how programming and outreach can enhance the recruitment experience for students. 

 

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Secondary Independent School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers
Independent Counselors

This workshop will present Pope High School's use of mini college fairs to strengthen our college going culture. Mini fairs are 25 or less colleges that operate in less than a one hour window and are proven helfpul AND efficient for students, counselors AND college reps!

All

This session will provide an in-depth look at the intricacies of arts admissions (dance, music, theater, film, visual art, and more). We will cover the difference between BFA and BA degrees, applying to audition or portfolio-based programs, submitting arts supplements, and how the admission process can differ for different institutions.

All Secondary School Counselors
Independent Counselors

Unravel the mysterious minds of the "iGen" by learning about brain development during adolescence, and how stress, sleep, and technology can impact how teenagers perform in high school. This session also invites discussion on how we can utilize this knowledge to make the college application and admission process more fair. 

All

The presenters will help you understand how to promote an office culture supporting multigenerational employees .  We will discuss motivational tactics for a strong leaders, including inexpensive (sometimes free) professional development strategies, mentor relationships, career advancement pathways, and a reflection of personal skills/interests/values aligning with both personal and institutional goals.

Post-secondary Admission Officers

We must lean on each other as we lean into our mission of guiding students to higher education. Join a CAP advisor, an independent school counselor, a CBO site director, and an admissions officer from Miami, FL to learn how we share information, best practices, perspectives, and resources.  

All

Elon Academy staff will share how we’ve identified potential challenges to the college success of underrepresented high school students and created early multifaceted interventions, increasing persistence and college graduation rates.  Secondary counselors and CBOs will leave better equipped to recognize behaviors indicative of future college challenges and intervention methods.

All Secondary School Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

In this session the presenter(s) will look to create a "Self-care workout plan"  that can help enhance their health and wellbeing, manage stress, and maintain professionalism during high peak times. Participants will learn how to identify activities and practices to support their well being and sustain positive self-care long term.

All

Changing demographics require institutions to think more creatively about how and where they recruit students, and developing new markets is likely a necessity to achieve your goals. Come explore strategies to identify potential, untapped markets and examine best practices in implementing early recruitment initiatives in new territories.

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Join educators and College Board experts to explore how students are directly benefiting from taking advantage of two innovative offerings from the AP program: AP Computer Science Principles and AP Capstone. And, learn about more upcoming AP initiatives that will continue to expand access to these pioneering programs. 

All

The Common Application's mission of access, equity, and integrity hasn't changed – but higher education has. Join this discussion of tools, resources, and initiatives designed to serve today's college applicants and the individuals who support them. Hear updates on changes for the coming year, including our new transfer application.

All

Understanding online behaviors and preferences of students and parents is critical for developing strategies for recruitment and admissions. As a Google Premier Partner, we know there is no better source than the warehouses of data Google has. We will tap into this data to answer key questions about prospective students'.

All

Ask any Vice President for Enrollment or Director of Admissions: change is the only constant. From hiring new staff to integrating new technologies—daily changes distract the most seasoned leaders from executing plans or reaching goals. Learn approaches to surf atop changing tides, instead of simply trying to stay afloat.

Post-secondary Admission Officers

Hear strategies to increase advanced course enrollment, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment. Years in the making, the strategies have followed these professionals to their current roles in different settinge. Supporting materials will also be shared so you can easily implement the strategies in your school.

All Secondary School Counselors
Secondary Public School Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

Do you struggle explaining engineering to your students? Many see a student that is good at math and science and think engineer. Yet, do you really know what an engineer is or does? We will explain common engineer fields for students and what it takes to get an engineering degree.

All

They are going everywhere! In a large school with high expectations, how is one to manage a large caseload? Am I serving my entire population? How am I supposed to get to know the needs of 2,000 children? Is it even worth it? Let's learn to herd!

All Secondary School Counselors

This presentation and interactive roundtable will explore the frameworks, legislative history, impacts, and threats current policy changes mean for our DACA and DREAMer students. Learn from your colleagues and other attendees in this space as we share resources and how to best serve these students through allyship and advocacy.

All

As recruitment offices continue to evolve, training platforms for admissions counselors must be dynamic and inclusive.  In this collaborative and discussion-based session, administrators from two universities will provide a framework for training and examples of successes and challenges while implementing these programs at their institutions over the past several years. 

Post-secondary Admission Officers

All

Great at giving your students advice about higher education, but struggling a bit with your own graduate level search? Hear tales of the graduate school search process, learn how this education shaped our career paths, and understand the pros/cons about studying part time, full time, or online.

All

We address how counselors prepare students through carefully constructing the conversation around the college process and helping them effectively react to undesired outcomes in high school. Considering growing mental health concerns amongst high school students, how can colleges support students who will not receive the news for which they hoped?

All Secondary School Counselors
Post-secondary Admission Officers
Community-Based Organizations

Should you join the growing movement allowing applicants to self-report standardized test scores during the early phases of the application process? Hear from a diverse group of colleges that made the move and can share best practices. We'll also explore how self-reporting removes barriers for low-income students and helps counselors.

All

Did you ever think that the financial aid process could be fun and interactive? The staff at Woodward Hines Education Foundation (Get2College) would like to invite you to an hour of games, prizes, and vital info about scoring cash for college!

All

With more than a third of students transfering at least once during their undergraduate careers, it is more important than ever to understand the lifecycle of a transfer student. This session will cover how different institions are holistically evaluating, recruiting, yeilding and retaining their newest transfer class each term. 

All

The college-going process has morphed into a high-stakes “rush for the gold” making the need for transparency into the exercise greater than ever. This highly interactive, case study workshop goes inside the decision-making to make sense of the current admission climate within the context and new-found priorities of enrollment management.    

 

All Secondary School Counselors
Independent Counselors
Community-Based Organizations

Athletic recruiting is one of the more confusing processes for counselors, students, and their families. Recruiting involves a tricky intersection of parent and student expectations, coach idiosyncrasies, and conflicting league policies. The session focuses on recruiting writ-large as well as the latest trends: specialization, club sports, and the accelerated timeline. 

All