October 13, 2020

Nearly 130 New York Area Counselors Attend SEC College Tour

By: SEC Staff
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

Nearly 130 school counselors logged in for the first ever virtual SEC College Tour, focused on the Greater New York area. The event gave participants the opportunity to engage with admissions representatives from all 14 SEC universities — from the comfort of their homes and offices.

The SEC College Tour, now in its 13th year, has been a valuable resource for counselors outside of the SEC’s traditional geographic footprint to learn about SEC universities from Conference experts. This year’s fall event, planned by the University of Georgia, utilized an online webinar platform to allow participants to hear presentations from SEC representatives while also engaging in real-time question and answer sessions.

“The SEC College Tour serves an integral role in our recruitment strategy by reaching new markets and giving us exposure to high school counselors who may not have the opportunity to hear about us in other ways,” said Interim Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Georgia, Dr. Amanda Sale. “While we missed traveling with our colleagues this year, we think the virtual experience was meaningful and beneficial to participants. Afterall, what a great way to hear about the extensive opportunities available to students at institutions throughout the Southeastern Conference.”

The virtual iteration of the tour included three sessions, one per day, with about 40 counselors attending each event. In addition to the formal presentations, counselors had access to digital resources about each SEC university and a booklet highlighting university points of pride and scholarship details. Georgia planners led production of the resources and prepared SEC representatives for their various roles in the event.

“The University of Georgia did a great job thinking through the planning,” said Tabora Cook, Coordinator of Recruitment Activities at Mississippi State University. “The little details really made this an easy process for the counselors and for the SEC representatives on the screen and behind the scenes.”

The SEC College Tour is one of several programs designed by the Southeastern Conference to showcase the range of accomplishments of SEC students, faculty and administrators. Dates and locations for the spring SEC College Tour, which includes students and families in addition to school counselors, are to be announced.