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2010 Summer Institute in Chicago

On June 23, 2010, the Deans and Directors of Admission of the ACM member colleges sponsored "Finding Fit in Selective College Admissions," a one-day professional development workshop for counselors  in downtown Chicago. Forty-three counselors from throughout the Chicago area participated. Faculty for the Institute were experienced admission officers from several of the ACM colleges.

Most of the materials handed out at the Institute are available in PDF format; please use the links below.

2010 Faculty

  • David Bennett, Director of Admissions - Enrollment, Lake Forest College
  • Jill Bisbee, Director of Admission, Knox College
  • Jerry Cebrzynski, Director of Financial Aid, Lake Forest College
  • Roberto Garcia, Director of Admission, Colorado College
  • Jennifer Motzer, Associate Director of Admissions, Lake Forest College
  • Kate Virgo, Assistant Director of Admissions, Beloit College

  • Todd White, Director of Admission, Cornell College

General reading

The Summer Institute faculty invite you to take a step back from the day-to-day demands of counseling students and read a recent article (published June 7, 2010) by New York Times columnist David Brooks about the role of the humanities in college education and in life.

2010 Schedule and Sessions

8:00 am: Doors open. Sign in, continental breakfast, and networking.

9:00 am: Helping Students Find Fit: A Partnership between Colleges and Counselors

Welcome: Christopher Welna, President, Associated Colleges of the Midwest

Moderator: Todd White

Panel: Students from ACM colleges

Do you have students for whom a residential liberal arts college could be a good fit? This opening session will provide an overview of what these colleges have to offer and ways that they can help students thrive and graduate.

10:15 am: The Admissions Process at Selective Colleges

Moderator: Jill Bisbee

An interactive session that will provide an introduction to ways that selective liberal arts colleges evaluate and review applications. The session will include presentations, a mock application review committee exercise, small group breakout sessions, and discussions.

Download materials for the application review committee exercise

Noon: Lunch and Roundtable Discussions

1:00 pm: Sessions  (counselors choose one to attend)

  • Interviews and Campus Visits – How can your students make the most of these important opportunities to learn more about colleges?

Presenter: Roberto Garcia

  • Writing Effective Recommendations for Your Students 

Presenters: Jennifer Motzer and David Bennett

Download the handout from the session

  • Support Services and Community Engagement at Liberal Arts Colleges – From the writing lab to academic advising and multi-cultural student clubs to spring break community service trips, liberal arts colleges offer students myriad ways to engage with peers and the surrounding community.

Presenter: Jill Bisbee

2:00 pm: Sessions  (counselors choose one to attend)

  • College Applications and Essays – Helping your students present themselves well to the colleges of their choice.

Presenter: David Bennett

  • Financial Aid – Counseling students and families as they invest in the future.

Presenter: Jerry Cebrzynski

Download the handout from the session

  • Academic and Experiential Learning Opportunities at Liberal Arts Colleges – Off-campus study (both international and in the U.S.), independent research projects, internships, service learning, and collaborative research with faculty are among the ways students can tailor their college experience to meet their interests and needs.

Presenters: Kate Virgo and Todd White

Download the handout from the session

3:00 – 3:30 pm: Wrap-up and Networking

Moderators: Jill Bisbee and Roberto Garcia

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