I just returned from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) conference in Baltimore.  It's a wonderful opportunity for college admissions professional to network with high school counselors, outreach organizations, vendors, etc.  In addition to the information sessions, there's a college fair where all of the high school counselors get an opportunity to meet college admissions folks from around the world, literally.  36 countries were represented this year.

During this college fair, I always see familiar faces.  High school counselors from schools I regularly visit, and those who send students to Wabash stop by to get an update on their former students.  What stood out this year was the large number of people approaching the table with an introduction similar to this one "I've heard great things about your school.  The doctor who repaired my ACL is a grad."  I had three such conversations in about a 20 minute span and started keeping track.  By the end of the fair, I had met 8 counselors who had learned of Wabash through a family or professional connection and that now (I hope) are fans of Wabash College.  

Two such people really stood out in my mind.  A counselor from Warwick HS in Pennsylvania stopped by to say "I love Wabash.  My brother and my cousin both went there."  I asked for their names and she replied "John Russell and Dan Schubert".  I worked with both of them and after introducing myself she simply said "you're the guy who called our house all the time."  Affirmation.

The second was a counselor from Tulsa who just said "Mike Dill would be upset if i didn't stop and say Hi."  Mike's the guy who gets stuff done for us in Tulsa and he's really going above and beyond to help this year.  A regular college fair attendee, Mike volunteered to visit a few schools this year as well.  He worked a few years in Admissions after he graduated from the College, so I guess it's in his blood.  Here's a scanned image from the Tulsa World that Mike sent last week. 

It's almost October, but there's plenty of time to refer a high school senior to Wabash.  With our Fall Class Visit Days and Top Ten Scholarship Visit Day a few weeks away, students you refer will still have enough time to take advantage of these programs and the scholarships tied to them.  Learn more about both events at the Future Students homepage. 

Posted by Chip Timmons at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Travel season is in full swing.  As I write, five of our counselors are on the road with two others starting later this week.

The first few weeks of the season include high school visits as well as some guidance counselor breakfasts held in different locations across Indiana including Evansville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Merrillville, and South Bend.  We host these programs to update counselors on what's new at Wabash, introduce them to Wabash students, faculty, and alumni, and to re-connect with our colleagues on the high school side before we get too far into our travels.

Speaking of our travels...if you'd like to see where the admissions team is traveling this fall, you have two options.  Our master calendar will show you our high school visit schedule for the next 14 days or visit our staff profile page where you can view counselors' schedules for the upcoming two weeks.  If you don't see schools in your area listed and want to know if/when we're heading your way, drop me a line at timmonsc@wabash.edu and I'll find out for you.

As for myself, I'm heading out on Friday for the final Colleges That Change Lives tour of the year.  I'll attend two fairs on Saturday in the Twin Cities and two more in greater Chicago on Sunday. Monday, you will find me in St. Louis before our tour heads East to Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus where some of my colleagues will take over.  It's been a record-setting year on the CTCL tour, so please encourage students you know in those areas to come out to the fairs.  A complete listing of locations and times can be found at www.ctcl.org.

I've gotten into a habit of frequently updating my Facebook status and/or Tweeting (@ChipTimmons) during my travels. Some people have even said it's entertaining to read.  At the very least, I'll provide a few restaurant/coffee reviews to help make you a more informed traveler.  If you're interested to see what life's like on the road for an admissions counselor, here's your chance.

Safe Travels!

Posted by Chip Timmons at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)