-
Presidential Ponderings from Peggy Hock
The rhythm of the school year calendar is one of the elements of college admissions counseling that I most enjoy. Each season brings a different set of priorities to my office and the start of each new school year brings the anticipation of new possibilities. During the WACAC Board retreat this summer, we had the…
-
An Update on Fisher v. University of Texas
It’s hard to believe that another summer has flown by so quickly! How can it possibly be fall again? For those of us on the college side it means packing our suitcases, hitting the road, talking about our institutions non-stop day in and day out and packing in those airline miles and hotel points; for…
-
Counselors: Cure for the Common Core
Two developments have seismically shifted K-12 education in California – the adoption of the Common Core State Standards and the Local Control Accountability Plan. These developments are important to our membership because they both have significant college and career readiness components. While most of the chatter about Common Core has revolved around the changes in…
-
Nothing Much to Say: The Pressures of the College Essay
I feel for these kids. I was helping out at a college application bootcamp a couple of weeks ago at a great independent school—one that, in its very intimate setting, places a lot of emphasis on the personal development of its students—and I was making rounds as the seniors had designated time to work on…
-
San Diego to Host 2015 NACAC Conference
Hey Western ACAC, are we ready for over 6,000 of our friends to join us in San Diego in 2015? Plans are well under way as Western ACAC and the San Diego Local Advisory Committee (LAC) prepare to host the National Conference. The annual event will take place in San Diego October 1-3, 2015. We…
-
The Crisis of Choosing An Ethnic Identity: Which Box Do I Check?
We here at USC recently became members of the Common App family. During the summer, our staff takes the time to fill our test applications; to help our processing center make sure the system is working, but also so that we as admission counselors can see what students are actually going through as they apply…
-
July ’14: Summers as an IEC
Summer can feel so strange as an IEC. It’s quiet…and yet not. It’s busy. I’m all over the place. No one is in school—that’s part of it. Students and families are all busy with summer camp and vacation. I’m meeting with students at hours that feel so odd. Morning? A lunchtime meeting? I get to…
-
I Am a Woman and That Means…
Last week a colleague of mine posted a link to a BuzzFeed article titled “29 Things Women Avoid Doing Because We Fear for Our Safety.” I went down the list and checked off all 29 items. I didn’t even realize I did half of these things?! Then I got upset. As a woman, on what…
