This year’s NACAC national conference is being held in charming Columbus, Ohio from September 22nd to September 24th. We at TACAC always strive to connect and collaborate with our peers on both a local and national scale, and hope you’re compelled to do so, too. Over 6,000 admissions professionals will be representing the 23 NACAC affiliate associations and traveling from all over the world to attend the conference. If you’re coming to the conference, we hope you’ll try to meet as many attendees as possible!

NACAC’s conference page does well to emphasize why attending the Columbus conference is so beneficial. Our field is ever-changing, and it behooves us to stay ahead of the curve, not only for our students and institutions, but for our own professional growth. Especially in light of the Coalition Application launch, the latest ruling in Fisher v. University of Texas, and the new SAT scoring, this is a conference not to be missed.

TACAC Drive-In workshops are specifically designed to provide secondary school counselors with unique professional development knowledge.  These one-day workshops, hosted in a variety of locations across the state, aim to assist counselors in working with students throughout the college application process.  Workshop sessions can include the importance of demonstrating interest, tips for working with undocumented students, a new approach to writing letters of recommendation, NCAA updates, creating a college-going culture with first-generation students, and understanding financial aid packages/financial aid updates, among other topics still being developed.

Workshops are aimed at a variety of audiences, with some being created for new counselors with less than two years of experience, while others aim to provide new perspectives or updates for counselors with many years in the field.  In addition to gaining new knowledge, workshops also offer an opportunity to connect and network with colleagues from across the state to share best practices and information on various issues affecting college counselors and the students they serve. Counselors who work at community-based organizations and independent counselors are also welcome to attend.