Guiding the Way to Impact 2026

NACAC's Guiding the Way to Impact (GWI) conference is aimed at college admission counseling professionals who are committed to championing the needs of students from a range of backgrounds as they go through the college admission process. The conference is evolving to empower professionals with the tools, strategies, and partnerships needed to navigate today's challenges and make real, lasting change in college access and success for all students who aspire to higher education. Keynote speakers, education sessions, small group sessions, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities will provide avenues for both personal and professional growth. The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) represents more than 28,000 college admission counseling professionals. Its purpose is to open the higher education pipeline to a diverse population of students to promote equity in educational opportunity and to ensure that the workforce is prepared to meet the increasingly specialized, multicultural, global demands of the 21st century. The conference's intimate size lends itself to vast and thoughtful discussions about the profession, and the development of best practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion. GWI is the crucible for forging new, cutting-edge practices for removing barriers so the pipeline from secondary to postsecondary education is wide open for all students who are interested.