College counseling is equal parts staying current about colleges and the industry, and actively listening to the students we advise; these are two areas where anyone can improve, and improvement lies in active professional development. If we are to do our jobs well, our work has to take us beyond our school by the sea to college campuses around the country, and to numerous conferences.
Membership has its privileges
Tabor counselors are members of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC), the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), College Board, and finally BISCCA, the Boston Area Independent School College Counseling Association. Behind these acronyms are organizations that offer countless resources and professional development opportunities that allow us to develop our craft and stay current with industry trends. Four counselors attended the annual NACAC conference in Boston in September, where seminars on topics as wide ranging as athletic recruitment, financial aid, standardized testing and the college essay generated debate and brought tough issues to the fore. Networking opportunities allow us to have informal conversations and open dialogue with college-based colleagues.
At ACCIS this past spring, counselors from schools across the US with some of the most competitive student bodies in the nation were brought together on the campus of Trinity College. Lauren Boucher and I enjoyed a four-day conference where we reconnected with colleagues from peer schools in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Florida, while getting an in-depth look at Trinity and Hartford-area schools and building new relationships with college admissions reps. We leave each of these conferences inspired by our colleagues on both sides of the desk and ready to tackle a new school year with fresh perspective and new ideas. For those new to counseling, The Harvard Summer Institute is often heralded as the single best professional development opportunity available, and new staff members at Tabor have benefitted from the six-day immersion into college admissions.
College Visits and Tours
Visiting colleges is another invaluable activity, and counselors are fortunate to be hosted by a number of colleges throughout the year. Tabor counselors want to see schools we know our kids are interested in, but also look “outside the box.” Visiting Vanderbilt in Tennessee confirmed all that I knew about their established reputation, but a tour of Belmont University just down the road introduced me to an impressive school with a fabulous music program, nationally recognized for music business and music therapy. Uncovering that hidden gem is what makes these trips great. Of course, they are also about promoting Tabor and our students, as well as building relationships with Admissions Counselors. Last year alone, Tabor counselors visited colleges in North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Montana, and upstate New York, and toured nearby Stonehill College and more distant Colorado State. This winter and spring, the team plans to travel to San Francisco, Denver, Florida, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. In a typical year, Tabor’s college counselors visit over three-dozen colleges and universities.
At Tabor, we have a professional staff dedicated to continuing education and a school committed to providing the resources to support these initiatives.
