We Know Campus Just Made Its Conference Debut, and Here’s What You Need to Know

Over the weekend of March 21-23, four of our team members traveled to New Orleans to represent We Know Campus at the SACAC Annual Conference—the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling, a nonprofit dedicated to raising the standard of college admissions. This year marked the organization’s 60th Anniversary. 

Why this conference, why now?

The college admissions landscape is shifting. Colleges are prioritizing authenticity in a world full of AI-generated applications, and students need more than a campus tour to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives. SACAC brings together the counselors, advisors, and admissions professionals who are navigating these changes every day, and attending the conference means We Know Campus stays informed on the current trends in the college admissions space and at the forefront of what high school students actually need right now—a real, unfiltered conversation with students who are currently enrolled at the exact schools you’re considering. 

What are the people shaping this industry actually saying?

Derek DuBose, President of NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) and Director of College Counseling at Miami Country Day School, summed up exactly why peer-to-peer insight is so essential:

"I think it's so important as students are trying to figure out what their future home is going to look like, to get the insights from a current student who's lived that experience—not just from the perspective of a tour guide, but having those intimate one-on-one conversations about what a major really looks like, what the dining hall is like, what the vibe of the school is."

A college tour won’t give you that. 

So why can’t counselors just fill that gap themselves?

Jahleese Hadley, SACAC Advancement Chair and Director of College Access at Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, admitted what most college counselors won’t say out loud.

"The longer I'm in my career, the more of an expert I become, but the farther I am from my students and their experiences. I know there's a lot of value in them hearing from a near peer."

Counselors are invaluable, but there are things only a college student can tell you—what the dining hall is actually like, the social scene, what a professor is really like, and whether that major is what you think it is. 

When in the Process Does We Know Campus Actually Help?

Not just early on. DuBose put it simply: Utilizing We Know Campus is valuable at every stage of your college decision process, but it hits different once you've actually been admitted and have a real decision to make.

"Once you've been admitted to a place and you're trying to make some decisions... it gives students the opportunity to say, 'Hey, I learned a lot about this school—and maybe it's not what I thought it was.' But also get some real positive insights."

Finding out a school isn't the right fit before you get there? That's just as valuable as finding out it is.

Where does We Know Campus stand today?

There are 30 colleges live on the platform with 800+ carefully vetted coaches who are current students, living the experience in real time. These high achieving students can speak to what life at that school actually looks like, down to the major, the campus culture, and everything in between.

We Know Campus will be attending the ICEA Annual Conference in Maryland and the NACAC Annual Conference in Minnesota later this year.