On the last Saturday of April, Educational Consultants Monika Gay and Gabrielle Bartlett attended the NACAC college fair↗ at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The annual fair brings admissions teams from the US, Canada, and overseas together. NACAC (National Association for College Admissions Counseling) was established in 1937 to support students through the post-secondary process. From admissions information and college fairs to student advocacy, NACAC has been an invaluable resource for all things higher education for over eight decades. Engaging with organizations like NACAC and building connections with admissions teams is a top priority for Options. This helps our consultants stay up-to-date on new programs and admissions changes in order to answer all the important questions students are asking!
This year, the one-day event welcomed over 3,500 attendees and more than 120 colleges and universities. With so many questions and so little time, Gabrielle and Monika decided to divide and conquer. Gabrielle focused her efforts on Canadian universities and Monika tackled the US. Keep reading for their highlights and key takeaways from the fair.
Monika’s Highlights
The mix of schools at the NACAC fair was really interesting. Some, like the University of Washington, Boston University, and the University of Michigan, were very popular with attendees and had long lines. I made use of my time to speak to college representatives from some other schools I find exciting. It was great to put faces to email addresses and to meet some representatives for the first time.
Babson College
This college outside Boston offers ONLY business programs, all with an entrepreneurial edge. The classes are small and the campus is welcoming and diverse. https://www.babson.edu/undergraduate/↗
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
This is a polytechnic right across the lake from Toronto, where I’m from, so the rep and I had lots to talk about. RIT is this close to moving from a Tier 2 to a Tier 1 research school, but it remains accessible to students. Key takeaways from RIT include a wide range of programs, both STEM and creative, and a robust co-op program. The university prides itself on offering “New Economy Majors” that draw students to it. https://www.rit.edu/new-economy↗
Marymount Manhattan College
I enjoyed talking to the rep from Marymount Manhattan College, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This program offers a wide scope of creative classes and other, more traditional majors, with residence halls close by. This college seems to make the best of what NYC has to offer.
https://www.mmm.edu/↗
University of Wisconsin-Madison
If students are looking at big, campus-and-community-driven universities, University of Wisconsin-Madison is a great match. Located in Madison, a lively college town, the university is on the larger side (55,000 students), and offers a wide range of programs. Among them, STEM programs are rigorous and well-resourced, and graduates are routinely accepted into top tier graduate programs. On top of that, the school has a culture of volunteerism that begins at orientation and permeates the student experience. https://www.wisc.edu/↗
Northeastern University
Finally, for students who value co-operative education, Northeastern is a great choice. Co-op forms a rich part of all programs for both international and domestic students. The university works to find co-op placements for international students which can lead to work for their 2 year STEM OPT extension Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) | USCIS↗, and are mindful about choosing employers likely to sponsor visas.
https://www.northeastern.edu/↗
Gabrielle’s Highlights
Having attended NACAC in 2023, I can definitely say this year was much busier! It’s always great to see excited students buzzing from booth to booth, trying to learn more about their unique program interests, admissions requirements, and campus culture at the various Canadian universities (I even bumped into some eager Options students). Here are my top three highlights:
University of Guelph – Bachelor of Creative Arts, Health and Wellness
I’m always fascinated by the unique programs offered by the University of Guelph. From One Health↗ to Bio-Resource Management↗, they never cease to impress me with their interdisciplinary program offerings that address real issues of the 21st century. Keeping with that same theme is their new Bachelor of Creative Arts, Health and Wellness↗ program (welcoming their first cohort this Fall 2024). This four-year honors degree allows students to explore artistic, psychological, and therapeutic components of the creative arts and how they connect to health care and human wellness. The program was developed in response to the World Health Organization’s report that identified the major role arts play in the prevention of ill health, promotion of health, and management and treatment of illness across the lifespan. How cool is that!?
Carleton University – New Nursing Program
Calling all future nurses! After speaking with the Carleton University admissions representative, we learned that Carleton is preparing to introduce a new nursing program in collaboration with the Queensway Carleton Hospital. This new program will be housed in the Faculty of Science and address the pressing need for additional nurses across Canada. There is no official start date published yet, but we are hoping to see this program launch for the 2025/26 admissions cycle.
Bishop’s University – Scientific Diving Minor↗
Last but not least, I stopped by to see our friends at Bishop’s University, located in Sherbrooke, Quebec. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Bishop’s boasts some of the smallest class sizes in the country (average of 40 students in first and second year classes) and is known for its strong sense of community. New this year is their minor in scientific diving and freshwater environmental assessment (SDFEA). This unique minor combines courses in freshwater biology, ecology, and environmental impact assessment with the goal of helping students’ improve their expertise in scientific diving and freshwater biology. Students can even obtain a diving certification by taking the course ESG288: Underwater Environmental Assessment, which is recognized by the CAUS and the American Academy of Underwater Sciences.
