LJCDS at NACAC: Connecting with Colleagues and Gaining Fresh Perspectives
We’re grateful to LJCDS for supporting our team’s attendance at this year’s National Association for College Admission Counseling conference in Columbus, Ohio. This annual gathering brings together over 6,000+ college admission professionals from around the world, providing an invaluable opportunity to strengthen relationships with admission officers, learn emerging best practices, and advocate for our Torreys on a national stage. The four-day conference featured over 150 education sessions covering everything from artificial intelligence in counseling to the evolving landscape of standardized testing.
Beyond the formal programming, we connected with admission representatives from hundreds of universities, deepening partnerships that directly benefit our student’s college search process. These face-to-face conversations allow us to share the unique strengths of the LJCDS community while gaining insights into what colleges are looking for in applicants. Below, our team shares their key takeaways from this energizing professional development experience.
Damien Fatongia: I focused much of my conference experience on understanding how artificial intelligence is reshaping college admissions-and the survey data presented was striking. According to several presenters, 40% of colleges currently use AI in enrollment management, with projections jumping to 65% in 2025. Universities like Virginia Tech and UNC Chapel Hill are already integrating AI into their holistic review processes. Virginia Tech shifted from two human application evaluators to one human and one AI reader. If their scores on the 12-point scale differ by more than two points, a second human evaluator steps in-actually lowering their discrepancy threshold from the previous four-point margin to ensure greater accuracy. UNC employs AI to analyze writing style, grammar, and transcript rigor, allowing human readers to focus on content and context.
This raises important questions for our work, especially considering survey findings showing that 86% of students report using AI in their studies. I attended sessions exploring practical applications for college counseling-from list-building and visit planning to essay brainstorming and administrative efficiency. The key takeaway? We must teach our students to use these tools responsibly and transparently, keeping records of AI prompts and outputs while ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces their authentic voice.
The conference also served as a helpful reminder of what we already emphasize with our students: colleges consistently value grades in college prep courses, overall grades, and curriculum strength above test scores in their admission decisions.
Martin Vaughn: In spite of the intense scrutiny and persistent challenges facing higher education, a clear message emerged from a panel of former college presidents: they would choose to lead again. On the Main Stage Session: “Courageous Leadership in Crisis: Lessons We Can’t Afford to Ignore”, former presidents Barbara K. Altmann (Franklin and Marshall College), Joanne Berger Sweeney (Trinity College), and Ruth V. Watkins (University of Utah) shared insights that transformed difficult moments into lessons in resilience.
These leaders navigated turbulent challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the intense racial reckoning on campuses. For Altmann, one defining moment involved a student arrested after protests following the murder of George Floyd. After issuing a public statement supporting peaceful protest, she and her husband received credible death threats, forcing them to temporarily move out of their home. Yet, in that extreme vulnerability, they found ways to keep going.
The panelists, with over 20 years of combined presidential experience, all agreed that success in the top role is never a solo endeavor. Berger Sweeney emphasized that the true role of a president is not to be the decision-maker of everything, but to "empower and inspire" others. This philosophy led her to successfully recruit a chief enrollment officer to oversee the student experience from admissions through retention—examining the entire "student arch journey"—an innovative model for liberal arts colleges. Watkins also stressed the importance of informing critical constituencies, such as board members at public institutions, about the "complexity of enrollment management."
Ultimately, the source of their enduring hope lies with the students. Sweeney, a neuroscientist by training, is inspired by the incredible breakthroughs in science and art being made by students admitted by enrollment professionals. Altmann perfectly summed up this belief: "Every ambitious, smart, hardworking student you bring us gives us our hope." Their unwavering commitment reminds us that even through the most challenging times, the mission of educating and shaping the future makes the sacrifice worthwhile.
Tiana Kelly: The four-day conference was invigorating, and allowed us the opportunity to advocate for our Torreys on a different level. I was able to connect and reconnect with colleagues on the other side of the desk at the popular Counselors’ College Fair - which provided an opportunity for us to meet with admission members representing 200+ colleges and universities around the world. The relationships built and conversations provided a better foundation for sharing information and being transparent with you, our LJCDS community. Attending sessions such as: “Flying Solo: Navigating the Challenges/Opportunities at a Public High School”, “More Than One Way to Become an Engineer”, “Forging Partnerships: Helping Students Experiencing Homelessness Transition to College”, “The Plight of the Standard Strong Applicant” helped widen my lense from the private school perspective and address equity, diverse pathways, practical counseling challenges, and navigating competitive admissions landscapes. Opportunities like the NACAC conference, leaves me energized and excited about the work I get to do each day with our students.
Valencia Valentine Hamman: Attending the Fall 2025 NACAC Conference in Columbus, Ohio was energizing, motivating and full of connection. I realized when I was on the plane to the Midwest that this year's conference was somewhere around the thirty-fifth one that I have attended. Now, one might think that the conference surely would be repetitive for me, boring and almost rote. Nothing could be further from the truth! Each time I attend our national admission conference, I walk away with new knowledge (lots of it!) that I can use daily with the work I get to do with Country Day students. I also leave the conference with new friends and colleagues. Each time I attend, I promise myself that I will befriend new colleagues, offer to help a rookie admission professional and connect with old friends. The conference of 2025 lived up to my expectations in every arena.
Undoubtedly, one of my favorite events each year is the counselor college fair. Held in a large exhibit hall, there are nearly 400 different colleges that participate. In the two-hour limited time frame for the fair, I always have a strategy. This year in Columbus, the way the facility for the fair was configured, there was a very long line to get into the fair, and I waited approximately 20 minutes in line before I talked to my first college representative. I sought out both colleges that I wanted to learn about and colleges that I knew. It is important to me to meet new colleagues and connect with old friends that I had not seen since the last conference. My first stop at the fair was at the table of a highly selective university where I have a senior who is planning on applying to that school. I was able to have a conversation about the student and exchanged business cards with the representative. The next table that I stopped at was my alma mater where I met a new admission rep and we shared stories of our small college. Other conversations included questions about admission policies and clarifications over testing guidelines. At the end of the two hours, I was exhausted but felt connected and proud of the profession that has captured my passions for so many years. I am already looking forward to next year's conference which will be held in Minneapolis, MN, and am wondering about the new colleagues I will meet at the college fair and beyond.
