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.

2023 Cohort Information

Below are the dates for the four cohorts offered during 2023. All live sessions will take place from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EST on Zoom. Participants are highly encouraged to attend all three live sessions!

*June, August, and November cohorts feature updated content for 2023!*

Cohort

March

Registration
is closed

June

Registration
is closed

August

November

Start Date Monday,
March 6
Monday,
June 12
Monday,
August 21
Monday,
October 30
Session 1 Tuesday,
March 21
Wednesday,
June 21
Thursday,
August 31
Thursday,
November 16
Session 2 Tuesday,
April 4
Wednesday,
July 12
Thursday,
September 14
Thursday,
November 30
Session 3 Tuesday,
April 18
Wednesday,
August 2
Friday,
October 13
Thursday,
December 14
End Date Monday,
May 1
Monday,
August 7
Monday,
October 16
Tuesday,
December 26

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 Adebayo
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.

Program Co-Directors

Christian Brown
Christian Brown Associate Director of College Counseling, Beacon Academy (IL)
James Fisher IV
James Fisher IVAssociate Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business (CA)
Fatmata Koroma
Fatmata KoromaAssociate Director of College Counseling, Georgetown Day School (DC)
Sean Whitten
Sean WhittenDirector of Enrollment Analytics, Queens University of Charlotte (NC)

Faculty

Christian Brown
Christian Brown Associate Director of College Counseling, Beacon Academy (IL)
James Fisher IV
James Fisher IVAssociate Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business (CA)
Khala Granville
Khala Granville Dean of Admissions, College of Charleston (SC)
Ryan Hargraves
Ryan Hargraves Executive Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions, University of Toronto (Canada)
Claudia Hernandez-Ponce
Claudia Hernandez-Ponce Higher Ed Professional and NACAC SIG Co-Lead
Valencia Jones
Valencia Jones Senior Associate Director of Inclusion, Access, and Special Populations, Washington University in St. Louis (MO)
Fatmata Koroma
Fatmata Koroma Associate Director of College Counseling, Georgetown Day School (DC)
Candace Leake
Candace Leake Associate Director of Admissions for Access and Outreach, Bucknell University (PA)
Terron Phillips
Terron Phillips Former Director of Admissions/PhD: Higher Education Administration, Purdue University (IN)
Derek Terrell
Derek Terrell Director of Member Engagement, Coalition for College (CA)
Andy White
Andy White Associate Director of Admission, Butler University (IN)

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