Education Session 5

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 1, 3, 7

A panel of admissions officers representing 3 countries and 4 different types of universities will discuss how they evaluate students from varied countries, schools, and environments. The panel members will discuss a variety of admissions policy topics that influence which international students they select.

Topics will likely include questions like: How do universities evaluate different international curricula when selecting students from high schools all over the world? Are some curricula considered superior to others? How important are geographical and socio-economic considerations? Are predicted grades considered less reliable than test results.

There will be time for the audience to ask questions.

Audience: University
Inspirations: 5, 6

Innovative thinking on professional development (PD) opportunities have led several members of the Big10 Academic Alliance to establish a unique model of recruitment that serves each individual institution’s enrollment goals while simultaneously allowing staff to take significant leadership roles in budgeting, logistics, event planning and data management.

Instead of competing, participating universities have collaborated to develop proposal bids for travel services; create intragroup responsibility structure; and set parameters around large-scale, cost-effective yield events. The resulting trip has led to a replicable PD heuristic, regardless of participant experience level or background.

Panelists will answer key questions such as:

• How can a recruitment/yield trip also provide significant professional development that impacts career trajectory?
• How can universities collaborate with yield efforts, especially in markets of applicant overlap?
• How do collaborative yield and recruitment efforts impact prospective students and parents?

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 1

The population of international students continues to climb to all-time highs; China once again reminds the No.1 sender with 33.2% in 2018 (Open Door Report, 2018). The increasing number of students coming to study in the U.S. poses challenges for both boarding schools and universities. Of these, mental health is a topic that has a significant impact on students’ experiences, and outcomes yet remain stigmatized and less likely to be talked about.

In this session, these topics will be addressed by a panel of experts consisting of faculty at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness, a current full-time Ph.D. Candidate researching the experiences of international students, a college admissions counselor who recruits international students both internationally and from boarding school within the U.S., and an admissions counselor at a private high school in the Greater Boston area.

The panel will describe what is known about key factors that have been proposed to contribute to depression and poor outcomes in Asian International student population, including health behaviors, lack of psychoeducation and awareness, stigma, family expectations, and discrimination. The MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness is described as an innovative approach to tackle these challenges. Later on, the panel will provide clinical suggestions regarding management of depression in Asian American and international student populations.

The session aims to be interactive, and participants will be invited to share their experiences and challenges when working with mental health issues among international students.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 3, 5

What do high school counselors wish they knew about the conversations in the admissions office? What do admissions officers think high schools could do differently to better advocate for their students and guide them through the admissions process?

This session will begin with a brief overview of some hot button topics presented by well-seasoned professionals from both sides of the desk.

Participants will be in groups that include both university representatives and school counselors and will be guided to thoughtfully and collaboratively address issues that arise throughout the admission process and better understand what happens behind the scenes. They will come up with takeaways that will be added to the presentation real-time.

Audience: High School
Inspirations: 1, 2, 3

One of the biggest hurdles that college counselors face is having time with students to make sure they have all the information they need to navigate the college counseling process.

Come hear how three different schools have worked to develop and deliver a college counseling curriculum across grades 11 and 12. In different ways, our curricula help our students understand themselves and their goals, introduce them to the variety of education and application systems around the world, and help them understand the way forward.

Additionally, learn about how you can deliver a curriculum with free resources available from Concourse. We will have time for Q & A, and welcome any further ideas about curriculum building from attendees!

Audience: High School
Inspirations: 4

Germany is becoming a popular destination for international students. This is due to the solid reputation of German universities; further appeal comes from the fact that access to public higher education institutions in Germany is free for both domestic and international students.

Applying to German universities can be confusing, often involving challenging terminologies like "Hochschulzugangsberechtigung", "Zeugnisanerkennungstelle" and "Numerus Clausus", particularly when it comes to admission requirements for international applicants.

This session will discuss the prerequisite secondary school credentials needed, with case studies for the IB, American high school diploma and the UK A-level applicants, a look at the application process, as well as the different post-secondary school options your students can explore.

Questions and comments are encouraged, and we promise we will teach you how to pronounce those uber-long German words :)

Audience: High School
Inspirations: 2, 7

• How can I help my students who want to play competitive sports at university?
• How will we assess their talent?
• How can their athletic talent get noticed?
• Where are the options for them to play?
• Who will be involved in the process?
• How do I manage expectations within my school community?
• What are the financial realities of athletic scholarships?

Come get answers to these questions and learn about opportunities worldwide for your student athletes!

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 7

Welcoming hundreds of international counselors and university representatives to your campus can be a formative event for an institution. Our Association offers three opportunities each year for high schools and university campuses to participate in an impactful educational event as a host institution. Come discover what it takes to host an upcoming International ACAC event – whether it is a Summer Annual Conference or one of the popular local Regional Institutes.

Participants will learn about the benefits and requirements, and how institutions are true partners in the process alongside International ACAC. We will be joined by the International ACAC Leadership Team as well as several past International ACAC Conference and Regional Institute hosts to answer all of your questions including: cost, logistics, getting your administration on-board, and much, much more.

Audience: University
Inspirations: 3, 4

This session will offer a deeper, more nuanced look into what grades, comments, credentials, activities of students attending British curriculum schools mean. What's the difference between IGCSE and GCSEs? How does the A Level curriculum coincide with Subject Test topics? Can you really compute a fair GPA for students in the British curriculum? What do the (intended-to-be-internal) term grades reflect? We're all aware of the aluminium vs. aluminum difference, but how about finer grammatical differences you may see in essays?

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 3

This presentation is geared towards high school counselors and educators who want to learn more about art and design fields in support of their work with students considering a degree in art or design. Five higher education administrators from reputable institutions within Europe and the United States will discuss various 21st century careers an artist or a designer could pursue after they graduate from college.

Participants will receive data on average salaries for numerous art careers and learn which art-related industries are trending. They will also be empowered to share this knowledge with students and their parents who may be eager to know more about profitable and rewarding art pathways.

The art and design careers discussed will include, but are not limited to: art education, animation, architecture, art therapy, designed objects, fashion, fashion merchandising, film, fine arts, graphic design, interior architecture, interior design, illustration, photography, printmaking, performance, textiles, sound, stage set design, special effects, visual and critical studies, and writing.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 1, 3, 6

Involved parents are great until they cross the line into demanding. Wondering how to manage expectations without losing your mind? Thinking of ways to involve parents without more work?

This session is packed with practical tips and ideas on being data-driven to set expectations during the college application process, minimizing parental inquiries, and leveraging technology to keep parents in the loop, all with minimal effort on your part.

• How to deal with demanding parents without losing your mind.
• Being data-driven to manage parent expectations during the college application process.
• Save time by minimizing parental inquiries.
• Using technology to keep parents in the loop.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 3, 5

It’s here! An open discussion on how we have successfully managed to recruit and guide our students through the maze of admissions options. This presentation is a dynamic look at pathways to admissions from all angles. Changing the conversation from “No” or “Denied” to “Not Right Now” and exploring collaborative recruitment strategies. We hope to inspire discussion between high school counselors and admissions representatives on how to recruit and advise students who may not fit the traditional “direct admission to Fall” mold. Don’t think this applies to you? Think again! All are welcome.

High School Counselors: How to approach the “you’ve been denied but this doesn’t mean it's over” conversation. Admissions Reps: How to maximize your transfer recruitment efforts, and other tips, tricks and strategies to hang on to those students who have just barely missed the mark.

Audience: University
Inspirations: 4, 5

Is India the Next Big Market? According to the British Council, India will have the highest rate of tertiary enrollment growth in the world by 2027. India, along with China, will comprise 60% of the global growth in outbound students over the same period. However, the road to the future of international recruitment is not just paved through the biggest metropolitan cities of India, but also through a growing number of 2nd and 3rd tier cities in India, and parts of the world where the Indian diaspora has established a strong presence.

This presentation will provide an overview of the key education markets outside Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru, detailing best practices, opportunities and challenges for international recruitment in 2nd- and 3rd-tier cities of India. The session will also explore overlooked opportunities to recruit Indian students outside India.

The presenters will draw on city-specific evidence to expose key educational trends, layering on key expertise from India-based higher education institutions and seasoned international recruiters who have experience in the cities that other institutions haven’t yet reached. Participants in this session will gain valuable, data-driven insights that will impact their Indian student recruitment strategy.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 1, 5

With the skyrocketing number of new private high schools springing up all over China, hitting every single one of them has become logistically impossible, especially given institutional budgetary and time constraints. In addition to conducting individual school visits, what are some other tested alternatives that could potentially be adopted by your own institution to maximize your recruitment impact in China?

Come to this session to hear examples from veteran local counselors and admission officers, followed by a Q&A. Sharing your own best practices is not mandatory, but highly encouraged.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 3

Understanding the Application Abyss This session aims to sweep away some of the mystery of what happens once a student hits “submit” on an application. Admissions and operations staff from a variety of universities/application systems will explain behind-the-scenes processes, common issues they face with students’ applications and documents from application to admissions decision. High school counselors will also share perspectives from their side of the desk.

Time will be provided for the panel and audience to have an open discussion and brainstorm ideas for improvement, so all attendees can leave with a better understanding of how to work together and advocate for a process at universities, schools and with third party platforms/application systems that lessens the stress and miscommunication of the process for all concerned.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 3, 4, 5

In the UK the number of Unconditional offers made (before results are released) has increased by over 1000% since 2013. Almost 1/4 of UK applicants have received at least one of their 5 UK choices. This is controversial and confusing, but is far more positive and complex than headlines and social media would suggest.

Unconditional offers before exam results are known are relatively common in the US and elsewhere - so what is the problem? This session aims to explain the process of offer making in the UK (UCAS and Direct) and offer perspectives from the US system too.

The session will include professional colleagues from UK and US High Schools and Universities and will be highly interactive and encourage debate and discussion. The session will also briefly outline the different types of "Unconditional offers" out there in the global sector and aim to give International ACAC member counsellors and University representatives a toolkit on navigating this issue.