The 2010 ACCIS Summer Institute is off to a terrific start under the leadership of Gavin Bradley (Pace Academy), Burke Rogers (St. George's School), and Jenny Byers (Harpeth Hall School). Over 100 ACCIS members from across the country are in attendance soaking up the amazing sessions on topics ranging from the role of testing in the admissions process to the reality of economics on college campuses.

Sunday evening, Elizabeth Kiss, president of Agnes Scott College, welcomed the conference attendees to her campus and then led a lively discussion of the role of ethics on college campuses. ACCIS also celebrated the dedication, commitment, and passion Marty Elkins, the first and current Executive Director of ACCIS, has given to the association. Marty will be passing the Executive Director baton this fall at the NACAC National Conference in St. Louis.

This morning, Professor Joseph Soares, Wake Forest University, was the keynote speaker on the importance and role of standardized testing in the college admissions process.  He offered a provocative take on the underlying presence of merit and social selection in the creation of the tests, as well as social disparity by design in the tests and social dispartiy by default in the process.  In addition, he addressed the numerous advantages the Wake Forest admissions office has seen since it has gone test optional in terms of the academic strength and diversity of its incoming freshman class. 

Gavin Bradley and Professor Soares