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C2C: What to Expect

Colleges to Counselors (C2C) is a more recent addition to the Iowa ACAC event lineup, and one that we are so excited about! We kicked off this event in 2018 at Drake University and had a wonderful time. For the second year, we will be hosting C2C in September. This year, it will be at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, on Thursday, September 26. 

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So Now What Happens?

I have a co-worker who enjoys saying “So, now what happens?” at times when it is crystal clear what is about to happen. (My kind of humor). This expression took on new meaning to me recently, as I found myself officially passing the gavel to Tom Paulsen of The University of Iowa. In the blink of an eye, I was no longer the President of Iowa ACAC. This marked the first time I seriously asked myself, “So, now what happens?”

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Iowa ACAC Spring Conference Recap

We hope those of you who attended the 2019 Iowa ACAC Spring Conference on May 19 and 20 found the conference to be beneficial and fun! 
Over 175 admissions and school counseling professionals attended the conference this year at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. Twenty-three sessions and roundtables were offered for individuals to attend and grow in our profession.
A survey was sent to all attendees regarding the conference. If you haven’t already, please complete the survey or email the Conference Planning Committee with your feedback. We’d love to know what you thought about the location, the new two-day time frame, and the sessions and roundtables that you were able to attend. Your feedback will help us make the next conference even better.
**A note from the Iowa ACAC Executive Board: Special thanks to Conference Planning Committee Chair Mallory Luensmann and Conference Planning Committee members Jenny Connolly, Katie Wyman, Megan Grove, Bailey Camenisch, Erin Gabriel, Sabrina Tapps-Fee, Jaclyn Tungesvik, Craig Juilfs, Autumn Luce, Eric Sickler, Susan Dickinson, and Navya Mannengi for all your work in planning the conference!

Be an Avenue of Change

The first year of our Iowa ACAC Cares Campaign has been a success and we're topping it off with a FINAL collection drive at our FINAL college fair at NIACC in Mason City.

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What's Your Office Doing?

Now that admissions staff and students are back from winter break, many admissions offices are conducting their winter all-staff training. Although there are many similarities in how we all train and refresh staff on important topics, there’s a lot we can learn from each other about the best way to learn more about our campuses and improve in the work that we do to support students. To learn more about how different offices handle all-staff training, I spoke with Marcus Phillips from the University of Iowa, Tom Heiar from the University of Northern Iowa, and Drew Shradel from Cornell College.

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Oh, baby!

Having a baby, whether it’s your first or third, can be a very exciting, and stressful, time in your life. For me, I am anticipating my third, and final, pregnancy in mid-January 2019. While this pregnancy was planned, pregnancy in itself doesn’t always come with perfect timelines. I was fortunate that for my first two pregnancies, they both hit in what admissions professionals would call the golden time of year to have a kid…the month of May! Wahoo! However, kid number three didn’t get the memo, and while January isn’t the worst time to have a kid in our profession, I will say guilt was one of my first emotions.

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Happy New Year from Iowa ACAC!

We’re barely into 2019 and I’m already tired of the expression “New Year, New You.” According to U.S. News & World Report, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. Upon hearing this, my initial reaction was ”I wonder how realistic those resolutions were…”

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Iowa ACAC Annual Conference Update

Our annual conference will look a bit different this year and it is all to benefit you, our members! 

The theme for the 2019 conference is “Change is Necessary for Growth” as the landscape for college admissions continues to evolve. 

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Attending NACAC for Newbies

I was fortunate enough to attend my first NACAC conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was easily one of the best professional development opportunities I have had. As a new attendee, I wanted to provide others, who may potentially have an opportunity to attend NACAC in the future, with some tips to make the most of your experience.

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Cinnamon Rolls and Students

As an undergraduate I, like many students, had various interests, but was unsure of my career path. In a Personnel Psychology course one of my best college instructors, David Whitsett (now an Emeritus Faculty Professor at UNI), continually encouraged our class to find a career in which we had a passion. Financial security was important, but job satisfaction was critical to being happy and having a meaningful life.

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Colleges to Counselors (C2C) Event

Iowa ACAC is excited to announce the first ever Colleges to Counselors (C2C) Events coming for the 2018-2019 school year!

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The Bus is Parked!

The 2018 R.I.D.E. is in the books, and what a successful experience it was! Thirty-one professional school counselors from every corner of Iowa, and even a special guest from Minnesota, took some time for some “college knowledge” by participating in Iowa ACAC’s 15th annual three-day learning trek.

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Summer Break is Here...Or is it?

A school counselor’s perspective...

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Professional Development – On a Budget!

Although nothing beats human interaction and learning in-person, webinars can be a wonderful way to encourage and participate in continued learning and professional development without leaving campus! Photo by BSGStudio

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MIDWest Conference 2018 Recap – “Just Keep Swimming”

Thank you to all the Iowa ACAC members who made it to Dubuque for the 2018 MIDWest Conference! Around 400 admissions professionals from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas attended, making it a great opportunity to learn, network, and have a little fun!

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Mentorship

As a school counselor or college admissions counselor, it is “in our blood” to think of others first. We strive daily to help our students in any way we can and not just between the hours of 8a.m. and 5p.m., Monday thru Friday. Something we all need to remember, at times, is to step back and do something for ourselves. Professional development is a great opportunity to improve yourself that can also have a positive impact on the students we serve. Whether you are brand new, or a seasoned veteran, there IS something for you.

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Get Organized This Summer!

I don't know about you, but my office and desk get organized about two times a year. It's not that I don't like an organized space, it just seems to always end up on the bottom of my "to do" list. Then comes winter or summer break, and I find myself elbow deep in papers to file, old notes to throw away, and oh-my-goodness is THAT what happens to grapes when you leave them in a plastic container for a month?!
(Don't judge, but yes, that happened.)

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Top 10 Reasons to Take Your Admission Team to the MIDWest Conference

1) Let them see you have fun undefinedCoe College Admission Team.
When was the last time your staff saw you in blue jeans? Telling corny jokes? Laughing at said jokes? Maybe while sipping a cocktail? Let them know you’re just like them in many regards and have fun with your team (however suits your style) at the MIDWest Spring Conference.

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Be a Part of History!

Be a part of history!

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Things I Wish You Knew - Part 3

In the last several months, the Iowa ACAC blog has featured a three-part series titled "Things I Wish You Knew."  This series has focused on survey responses received from admissions counselors, school counselors, upper level admissions staff, recent college admits and their parents to offer a new perspective into their lives, which will hopefully impact the way you interact with these individuals. 

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