Take Advantage of the Resources Available
The annual NACAC conference was held in Boston, MA, with a combination of 7,700 independent, secondary and post-secondary college admission counseling professionals. They provided an Access College Fair (ACF) and Counselors' College Fair (CCF) that hosted 550 regionally accredited colleges and universities, giving counselors a one-stop networking opportunity. What a great way to stay connected and up to date on industry trends, exchange ideas, and hear from the experts. The overriding theme flowing through the conference was the need to ensure that every student is given the opportunity to attend college or gain higher education. Each year bright students miss out on higher education because they do not know what needs to be done to get to that next level. They are often concerned about the cost of college and believe it is out of their reach, while there are many colleges that meet the full demonstrated financial need of admitted students through grants, work-study, scholarships, and federal student loans. Or they are unaware of the multiple untapped free resources at their fingertips, like Khan Academy, Big Future, and many more. This is where scheduling time with a counselor to ask questions and gain information can take some of the mystery out of the process. As counselors, whether independent or school, we want to ensure that each student is educated about the application process, and our focus is to guide them toward their right fit college. So students, make sure to take the time to utilize the resources available that will guide you towards choosing a path to reach your full potential.