Professional Certificate: College Admission for Emerging Leaders

The Fundamental Resource for New Admission Professionals

Want to ensure that your newly hired and beginning admission staff have the knowledge and skills to develop thriving, long-term careers in the profession and serve your institution well? Enroll them in NACAC’s Professional Certificate in College Admission for Emerging Leaders (ELP) course!

Featuring an outstanding faculty, this eight-week, online course provides participants from postsecondary institutions with a comprehensive understanding of college admission and student recruitment. With this foundational course under their belt, your staff will be onboarded and ready to excel in their admission and recruitment role.

2024 Cohort Information

Coming soon!

What does this course offer?

Comprehensive, online learning. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of college admission and student recruitment in a convenient, self-paced, online format. Participants will gain a national, regional, and international perspective while learning about best admission practices across multiple dimensions.
Short, on-demand modules. Participants will log into the learning management system to complete the short, topic-based modules on their own schedule and at their own pace. Each participant will have eight weeks to complete the course.

Three virtual meetings. In addition, all participants will gather on Zoom on three separate dates to meet with classmates and faculty members. Participants will discuss key issues and topics, review assignments, and learn within smaller breakout groups.

- *Participants are highly encouraged to attend all three live sessions!*

Network building. Participants will have the opportunity to continue building their professional network. Each cohort is open to approximately 200 participants from colleges and universities worldwide. Participants will also get to know the faculty members and keep connections strong through an online community of practice.
Professional certificate and digital learning badge. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a professional certificate from NACAC. In addition, participants will also receive a digital learning badge that can easily be embedded on LinkedIn and other social platforms to signify their achievement.

What topics will be covered?

Topics that will be covered in this course include:

Becoming a New Admission Professional
Basics of Data Analytics
Understanding College Selectivity
Decoding the School Profile
Basics of Student Engagement
Understanding Unconscious Bias
Serving Diverse Students
Event Management and Budgeting
College Admission Ethics
Introduction to Higher Education
How Students Pay for College
Recruitment on a Budget

Who should participate?

Newly hired admission staff working at an institution of higher education

What is the time commitment?

Course participants should plan to spend 3-4 hours each week on coursework.

*Participants are highly encouraged to attend all three live sessions!*

What is the cost?

The cost per person to register for this course is:

$200 for NACAC members

$400 for nonmembers

A 25% discount is available for offices of four or more participants. If your office would qualify for this discount, contact customer service for a promo code prior to registration.

PLEASE NOTE: Registration is limited. No refunds are available (participants may be substituted). For purchasing and billing questions, contact customer service. As of August 1, 2023, all requests to switch cohorts, extend course access (by 1 month) or changes to course registrations will be subject to a $50 processing fee per person/per course.

Program Director

Emma AdebayoSenior Associate Director for Recruitment, Outreach, & Communications, University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Emma Adebayo is the Senior Associate Director for Recruitment, Outreach, and Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Adebayo holds a bachelor’s from Case Western Reserve University and a master’s in educational administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In 2020, she completed a certificate in conflict management and resolution at Washington University in St. Louis. Adebayo’s decade-plus career in college admissions includes experience at several public flagship and private specialized universities across the Midwest. She is passionate about discourse on college access, equity, staff development and inclusion on both sides of the desk and is proud of her recent service to the National Association for College Admission Counseling as a co-chair for the Ad-hoc on Serving Next Generation Professionals and continued work as the Program Director of the Professional Certificate: College Admission for Emerging Leaders program.