Thanks to all who sent us their observations of this year’s NACAC Conference. We invite everyone to share their feedback below in the comment section.

Tomorrow’s blog will feature feedback from the SSAT Annual Conference.

I appreciated a session entitled “From Guiding Admission to Advising for College Success,” which discussed different ways that student advising takes over to facilitate smooth transitions. I learned that during the college search, and while in college, students should be reading the course catalogs! I learned about the “Transition Summer” and the importance of students setting personal expectations for themselves and about what they want to learn over and beyond the requirements and of the importance of putting the support network in place in advance of arriving on campus.

Jane C. Hoffman (NY)

I enjoyed the special interest groups luncheon meeting of independent educational consultants, where IECs shared how they operate their business. I liked the fact that the NACAC member assigned to observe the meeting was the new dean of admissions at Pomona College!

Gail Meyer (CA)

The highlight of the NACAC conference for me was the Transitioning to Private Practice Pre-Conference Workshop. The class was engaged and an interesting mix of school counselors, admissions counselors, and others who are interested in joining this vibrant and growing profession. Our future is in good hands with those being trained by IECA to be both student-centered and ethical in their future work.

Charlotte Klaar (MD)

New Orleans hospitality and “joie de vivre” is alive and well! Great people, great food, loads of fun! Colleges (Loyola, Tulane, Xavier, Dillard) have rebounded terrifically and are educating students with well-defined missions through clear leadership.

I also enjoyed keynote speaker, Jonas Lehrer, who spoke about being successful by:
-being persistent
-choosing the right goal
-trusting your gut
-learning to relax
-strategically allocating our attention

Maite Halley (FL)

I was very intrigued by the session on the development of the teenage brain and the college admission process. Results from an MRI study reveal that sleep deprivation and stress depress the frontal lobe functions and over stimulate the brain’s limbic system, which results in a decrease of the student’s emotional regulation and executive function. These effects mimic the symptoms of ADD and ADHD. This finding has wide-ranging implication for adolescents.

One would think that this would reinforce the time-honored advice to students to “get a good night’s rest before taking the SAT or ACT.” However, as a practical suggestion, Dr. Bitton tells us that it is a mistake for students to increase their sleep the night before the tests. If students cannot increase their sleep gradually over four or more days, they are better off getting the average amount of sleep the night before a test. Otherwise, they will wake up drowsy and unable to concentrate. Having only one good night’s sleep is counter-productive.

Barbara Pasalis (OH)

Panels I attended were interesting and timely—agents working on commission, enrollment management and tuition discount rates, and the dual-edged sword of fast apps. And there were many others I wish I could have attended. The IECA SIG on complex practices was enlightening and generated some good discussion.

Dodge Johnson (PA)

Mark’s session on Saturday morning was a must for all those who doubt or question the intent of independent education consultants. It was presented objectively, he entertained all the frustrated counselors with concerns about independent consultants, and he addressed the concerns fairly.

Diane Pou Wilcox, Associate member (TX)

Attended several good sessions. I especially enjoyed “The Myth of Fit” and “The Adolescent Brain.”

Bonnie Sudduth (SC)

There was visible excitement as college representatives and independent educational consultants sat with each other waiting for the opening session in the huge New Orleans auditorium of the convention center to begin. Similar to being at a national political convention where delegates sit with other members from their home states, signs were all over the room directing people to sit with those from their regional groups. Keynote speaker Jonah Lehrer delivered an interesting, researched-based speech about the often unrecognized values of persistence and grit and how these qualities are often more predictive of life (and college) success than SAT and ACT scores. What a breath of fresh air!

Other highlights were the IECA luncheon where IECs mingled and ate a buffet lunch with college representatives from all over the country. Mark Sklarow delivered a fact-filled and persuasive speech about the value of working with IECA consultants.

Melinda B. Kopp, Associate member (CO)

As I told those attending my breakout on the final day, I felt some sadness during this year’s NACAC. There was a continuous stream of laid-off school counselors or those who were still employed, but saw their caseloads increase by 20 or 30 percent. NACAC11 may be remembered as the beginning of the decline of the public-school-based college counselor, a devastating and disturbing impact on students.

Mark Sklarow, IECA Executive Director

Enjoyed seeing friends and colleagues at NACAC.

One session that was particularly outstanding was “The Teenage Brain and the College Admissions Process: Best Fit or Missed Fit?” Natalie Bitton of Lycée Français in San Francisco was a knowledgeable and well-prepared speaker—excellent presentation! I would love to see and hear this speaker at an IECA conference in the future.

Kathie Carnahan (LA)

Related posts:

1. Colleges: Engage With IECA at NACAC to Diversify Your Campus
2. Independent Educational Consulting At the Tipping Point: What Colleges Need to Know as Private College Consulting Explodes
3. Heading to NACAC: 5 Things That Independent Educational Consultants Need to Share with College Admission Representatives
4. At NACAC, IECA Captures the Buzz
5. Nearly 100 Presenters will Examine Hot Topics in College Admission, Boarding Schools, Special Purpose Programs & Independent Educational Consulting

Permalink   |   Admission Representatives,Adolescents,college admission trends,college admissions,NACAC |  
Tagged: ADD/ADHD, admissions, admissions representatives, college consulting, guidance counselors, independent educational consultants, NACAC, school-based counselors, special interest groups, Transitioning to Private Practice