Matt Arant
Founder
Arant Academic Planning (TX)

 

What drew you to the world of college admission counseling?
Probably like a bunch of other NACAC members, I worked in my college’s admission office while a student, primarily giving campus tours and hosting lunches at the dining hall for prospective student-athletes. (I was a member of the varsity tennis team.) Although I did not begin to work in admissions until several years after I graduated from college, the experience meeting with these students and families stuck with me.

What is your favorite part of the job?
When I was working on the college side, my favorite part of the job was traveling to different parts of the country and meeting with students and counselors to learn more about their respective schools and using that information to provide additional context during application review and committee.

Now as an independent educational consultant, my favorite part of the job is the ability to advocate for numerous colleges and universities based on the preferences and interests of my students. Building a list that contains schools a family initially had never heard of (but later come to think of as good fits academically and personally) is especially gratifying.

How has NACAC played a role in your career?
The main role NACAC has played in my career starting as a college admission representative and now as an independent educational consultant is connecting me to a wide network of individuals from across the world dedicated to college accessibility and the value of postsecondary education.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our profession today?
To me, the biggest challenge facing college admission/counseling today is similar to those faced by most other professions: the proliferation of unvetted expertise. Whether this comes from simple ignorance or willful misrepresentation of information, it’s crucial that organizations like NACAC continue to be the leaders in combating the influence of these self-professed experts.

When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
I like to read, watch classic professional wrestling, and eat stellar BBQ here in metro Austin without having to camp overnight.

If you could be any fictional character, who would it be and why?
Tom Joad from The Grapes of Wrath because he helped those who often lacked the ability to help themselves and took a stand for what was right, even at great personal cost.

 

Published Aug. 17, 2026