As NACAC research has indicated for more than a decade, postsecondary institutions factor variations among secondary schools into their consideration of student academic records as part of the application review process. As such, providing access to descriptive information about the school, often via the school profile, is a critical, if underutilized, step for secondary schools to take.

NACAC first made recommendations on best practices for school profiles in its 1977 ā€œGuidelines for Designing a School Profileā€ publication, prepared jointly with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

This updated guide, based on the original ā€œGuidelines,ā€ ensuing updates, and the 2017ā€“18 revision (see ā€œMethodsā€), serves as a compilation of feedback, guidelines, and best practices from hundreds of experienced counseling and educational professionals. International and non-traditional perspectives were also taken into account in the revision of this guide.

This project was the result of motion passed by the NACAC Assembly in 2017. The association extends a special note of appreciation to Cigus Vanni, the author of the motion and reviewer on this project throughout. In addition, we extend our appreciation to the NACAC Professional Development Committee (2018ā€“19), whose members reviewed and provided input on this report from start to finish.