Peabody is the building, Jack is the dog, and I'm Dean J (she/her, btw).

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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Spring Travel Season and a Note about Competition

It's spring travel season and that means most of our office is on the road for college fairs and conferences. This includes the annual Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling Conference (PCACAC).  PCACAC is the Mid-Atlantic regional affiliate of NACAC (I'm sure you can figure our that acronym). Many people who are involved in the college admission process are members of these organizations.

We gather for our regional conference in late April to share best practices, brainstorm ways to address the problems facing our students and offices, and celebrate successes. Pictures like the one below, taken after the opening session of the conference, are pretty common.

(Equal representation of Charlottesville and Blacksburg in this photo)

The reactions I get to these sorts of photos are sometimes mixed. Some people are a little surprised that admission officers collaborate to talk about the state of the college admission and how we can improve the process for students while also serving the needs of our institutions. The truth is that we really save the competitiveness for sports talk (go hoos!). At the end of the day, we want this process to help you discover amazing schools and allow you to select one that will provide you with a fantastic college experience.

I obviously think UVA is a wonderful home for all kinds of students with a wide range of interests, but I know you're considering other schools that can provide exciting opportunities as well. As May 1st approaches, don't hesitate to reach out to us if you want more information about UVA to help with your decision. We have a Dean on call to talk by phone every day and I'm always happy to chat via the comments here or on other social media channels.



By the way, if your school isn't sending counselors and Career Center Specialists to PCACAC, you might want to suggest membership to your superintendent.