Admission counseling conference to bring hundreds to campus

Between 600 and 700 high school and college admission counselors will be at Saint Michael’s College from June 8 -10, as the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) hosts its annual conference on campus — the first time the event will resume in-person since 2019.

The event will focus on building connections and reflecting on the difficulties of the education counseling profession throughout the pandemic, which precluded in-person meetings the past two summers.

The conference will include 20-minute long round-table discussions, community service, a bus tour of local colleges (University of Vermont, Middlebury College, and Champlain College), and an introduction to the new “College Fair To-Go” option hosted via the mobile conference app, Guidebook. For those unable to attend the event in-person, the app allows member institutions to display their programs virtually, free of charge. Additionally, numerous career resources will be available, such as résumé guidance, mock interviews, and assistance with job searches and achieving promotional goals. Additionally, 75+ educational sessions will be provided throughout the week covering a wide range of topics for attendees to learn and discuss.

Sullivan Miele ’20

Sullivan Miele ’20, Saint Michael’s assistant director of admission and one of the organizers for the NEACAC Annual Meeting & Conference, said nearly 40 people across campus are dedicated to putting on the conference. “Saint Michael’s is supporting this conference from every office, from the Print Shop to President [Lorraine] Sterritt herself,” he said. “With our community behind the effort, there’s no doubt this [conference] will be one to remember.”

The notably large gathering will bring together roughly an even split between high school counselors and college admission counselors. To Miele, this is one of the best features of working in the admission profession. “The field is amazing in that my colleagues work on ‘both sides of the desk,’ with both high school and higher education professionals,” he said.

Numerous sponsors and grant donors support the event financially. The list of financial supporters is available here.