2026 Americas Regional Institute Downloads
2026 Americas Regional Institute Attendee List
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Session 1
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
A CONVERSATION FOR COUNSELORS: HOT TOPICS AND REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES
- Jennifer Tassell, International School of Panama
Session 2
2:00 - 3:00 PM
UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS VS. HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND IECS: THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN
Every relationship - across all sides of the desk - has tension: can't we all get along? Grab your popcorn and prepare for some truth-telling!
In this high-energy, talk-show-style session (picture: Jerry-Springer-Like-Vent-Session), university admissions officers, counselors, and IECs will air their grievances about working across the desk from each other. From late recommendation letters to unclear admissions criteria and blanket email requests from documents already submitted and received, from overwhelming supplemental questions to last-minute student changes - no complaint is off limits! We will even address your feelings on end of year happy holidays newsletters? Do we really need to be this jolly with our already cluttered inboxes?!
But here's the twist: for every grievance aired, we'll unpack the "why" behind the frustration and extract practical solutions that both sides can implement immediately. We have exciting ideas to edit the tension and expedite efficiency in the college counseling process. Through structured chaos and good-natured conflict, we'll transform these complaints into collaboration strategies.
What You'll Gain:
Real talk about communication breakdowns and how to fix them
Practical tips for streamlining processes on both sides
Understanding of constraints and pressures each side faces
Actionable strategies to strengthen university-counselor partnerships
A few laughs along the way (and possibly some bad acting)
- Phillip Wenturine, Brewster Madrid
- Heidi Buffington, Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus
- Jennifer Tassell, International School of Panama
- Renee Lurie, Renee Lurie, Intl. IEC: Go Global Education
- iLaria Bossi, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATIVE RECRUITMENT WITH EDUCATIONUSA
Join two experienced international recruitment professionals, representing both a large comprehensive public university, as well a selective, private college, to discuss successful ways of collaborating with our EducationUSA colleagues. EducationUSA has a network of over 400 advising centers around the world, all with the primary purpose of promoting the USA as a destination for higher education. A general overview of EducationUSA will open the session. Recruitment strategies will be related to, but not limited to in-person and virtual presentations. Presenters will also give examples of how to successfully host EducationUSA advisors in their state, and on their campus.
- Jim Crawley, Hope College
- Chris Voss, Michigan State University
- Ana Solis, EducationUSA Costa Rica
ALL ABOUT UCAS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO APPLY TO THE UK
Navigating the UK higher education landscape can be complex, but mastering the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is the key to unlocking these opportunities for your students. This session is designed specifically for school counsellors based in the Americas region, providing a comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap to the UK centralized application system.
Attendees will gain vital insights into managing key timeline milestones, understanding equal-consideration deadlines, and helping students strategically select their five course choices. We will demystify the core components of a competitive application, offering practical advice on guiding students through the personal statement and structuring impactful counsellor references.
Whether you are new to the UK system or looking to refresh your knowledge, this workshop will equip you with the practical tools and confidence needed to advocate effectively for your students and streamline their journey to UK universities.
- Aly Stewart, The University of Edinburgh
- Taylor Wearne, University of Exeter
- Matthew Crichton, Abertay University
FUTURE-PROOFING STUDENTS: WHY LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES MATTERS AND HOW TO COMMUNICATE ITS VALUE
Today's counsellors are guiding students who are preparing for a rapidly changing world shaped by artificial intelligence, global complexity, and careers that may not yet exist. More than ever, students need to adapt and understand how to pivot.
This session explores Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS) as an educational philosophy that addresses this challenge. LAS programmes across the world maintain a shared commitment to multidisciplinary learning, intellectual curiosity, and broad academic and social development.
Drawing on perspectives from LAS institutions in Europe and North America, and the experience of an international school counsellor, we will explore what defines a LAS education, how it compares to more specialised degree pathways, and, most importantly, which students are most likely to thrive in this type of learning environment.
Participants will gain practical advising strategies, real-world examples, and an understanding of regional differences to help them recognise when a LAS education may be an excellent fit for a student, regardless of where in the world they choose to study, and confidently communicate its value to students and families.
- Shelley de Vos, Erasmus University College
- Kim Zwitserloot, University College Utrecht
- Kristi Steele, KC360
Session 3
3:30 - 4:30 PM
In this interactive session, participants will examine recent survey data from international schools across Central America to review the primary drivers drawing students to higher education in the U.S., as well as the key barriers preventing others from matriculating. Following the data presentation, high school counselors and university admissions representatives are invited to engage in a collaborative discussion to identify practical strategies for strengthening school-to-university partnerships and enhancing support for prospective applicants across the region.
- Julie Falbo, American Nicaraguan School
What makes a student remember an institution long after a fair, an email, or a campus visit?
In an increasingly competitive and digital recruitment landscape, information alone is no longer enough. Students compare rankings, programs, career outcomes, and tuition fees, but their decisions are also shaped by something harder to measure: how an institution makes them feel.
Drawing on a Latin American perspective and lessons from hospitality, experience design, behavioral science, and some of the world’s most memorable brands, this session explores how universities can intentionally create meaningful experiences throughout the recruitment journey.
Through practical examples and real experiences from Latin America, we will explore how small details, personalization, cultural awareness, trust, and human connection can transform ordinary touchpoints into memorable moments‚ from the first interaction to admission and beyond.
Participants will leave with practical ideas to rethink their own student journey and a simple principle: creating memorable experiences does not necessarily require a bigger budget. It requires intention.
When students forget what we told them, what will they remember about how we made them feel?
- Angelica Pinzon, ESSEC Business School
- Rafael Trujillo, Emerson College
CAREER COUNSELING ROOTED IN REALITY
This session proposes that career counseling is a core competency for any educator committed to preparing students to transition from school to university and work. This form of counseling is especially necessary in Latin American countries, where high school students typically have to make major career decisions earlier than their counterparts in countries such as the US and Canada.
What, then, does it mean to provide high school career counseling that is comprehensive and rooted in reality? In our work, we refer to reality as both an inner (self) and an outer (world) experience. Together with the founder of the vocational guidance movement, Frank Parsons, we posit that comprehensive career counseling is focused on helping young people find the match between who they are and the needs of the world.
To be of any concrete value, this match needs to be rooted in solid reality. The presentation will explore ways to bring this quality to our students' process of developing greater awareness about themselves and about the world of work they will soon be joining. Participants will leave with tools to apply to their own practice immediately.
- Julia Kirst, Design de Futuros
- Ana Gomes, Brazilian International School
COSTA RICA & MEXICO: EXPLORING HIGHER EDUCATION ACROSS BORDERS
How can college counselors better guide students exploring higher education opportunities in Costa Rica and Mexico? This panel brings together college counselors from both countries to share perspectives and engage in a meaningful conversation about the university landscape, opportunities, and experiences within the region.
Through an open and collaborative dialogue, panelists will draw on their experiences supporting students and families as they navigate their university options. The conversation will provide an opportunity to reflect on the distinct characteristics of higher education in Costa Rica and Mexico, while exploring the possibilities and considerations that may arise when students look beyond their home country for their undergraduate education.
Rather than following a predetermined set of topics, the panel will encourage dialogue, comparison, and the exchange of experiences among college counseling professionals. The discussion will remain flexible and responsive to the interests and questions of participants, creating space for different perspectives and experiences to emerge.
Ultimately, the session aims to foster greater understanding of higher education opportunities within the region, encourage cross-border collaboration, and strengthen connections among college counselors. Participants will leave with new perspectives, ideas, and connections to support students exploring educational pathways in Costa Rica and Mexico.
- Pilar Soto Saprissa, Lincoln School
- Maria Jose Lamadrid, American School Foundation of Monterrey
- Silvia Guillen Araya, Colegio Miravalle
- Luly Treviño, Meto
Session 4
5:00 - 6:00 PM
REGIONAL RECRUITMENT IN LATIN AMERICA: ALIGNING DATA, CULTURE, AND STRATEGY
Latin America has increasingly become one of the most dynamic and complex student recruitment markets in the world. This session will explore effective strategies for recruiting students in the region to universities in the United States and other global destinations, grounded in cultural context, data trends, and on-the-ground experience. Panelists will share insights on outreach models, affordability considerations, and evolving institutional, family, and student expectations. Attendees will leave with practical tools and a deeper understanding of how to build recruitment pipelines in Latin America.
- Jennifer Tassell, International School of Panama
- Rachel Dillon, The American School Foundation (Mexico City)
- Rafael Lemos da Silva, The George Washington University
FROM CONNECTIONS TO CAMPUS: NAVIGATING COUNSELOR FLY-IN OPPORTUNITIES
Ever wondered how counselors actually get onto the fly-in list and what happens behind the scenes when universities decide whom to invite?
This interactive session brings together school-based counselors, an IEC, and university representatives with different experiences and perspectives on counselor fly-ins. Through a combination of panel conversation and practical takeaways, we'll explore how to build relationships with universities, approach school leadership about professional development and funding, make the most of your existing networks, and put yourself in a stronger position for future opportunities.
We'll also share results from a poll of university representatives, offering a candid look at what goes into selecting counselors for fly-ins, what universities value, and what counselors may not realize influences invitations.
Whether you're new to fly-ins or a seasoned traveler, you'll leave with fresh perspectives, practical strategies, and a better understanding of how to turn connections into opportunities.
- Ai-Lien Nguyen Vasconcelos, St Nicholas School
- Matthew Petersen, Washington University in St. Louis
- Stephanie Fox, Boston University
- Renee Lurie, Renee Lurie, Intl. IEC: Go Global Education
- Evan Rush, Uruguayan American School
FINDING YOUR FIT: SWIPE RIGHT ON STUDY ABROAD!
In this lively game show-style session, universities from five different countries will pitch their destinations as Tinder dating profiles, highlighting their green flags and admitting their red flags. From cost of living and career opportunities to culture, safety, weather, and social life, we'll explore each destination's real pros and cons with humor and honesty‚ because not every country is every student's soulmate.
But the swiping doesn't stop at the border. Within the U.S., where "fit" varies enormously, we'll also explore how institutional mission, selectivity, financial resources, and enrollment goals shape recruitment strategies‚ and the students colleges hope will swipe right on them.
Designed for school counselors and university representatives, this session will help counselors pitch countries to their students and help reps gain fresh ideas on showcasing their destinations. Expect laughs and practical takeaways!
- Phillip Wenturine, Brewster Madrid
- Heidi Buffington, Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus
- Erin Gahimer, Indiana University
- Maria Isabel Millan, University of Alberta
- Martina Espinosa, John Cabot University
Session 5
9:30 - 10:30 AM
TESTING IN 2027: NAVIGATING EXAMS ACROSS GLOBAL ADMISSIONS SYSTEMS
Testing policies are becoming more complicated, not less. As U.S. universities continue to shift among test-required, test-optional, and other testing policies; and universities in Europe increasingly use their own admissions assessments; international counselors are often advising students across several systems at once.
This session will give counselors a practical framework for developing testing strategies for students applying globally in 2027. We'll examine key developments in the Digital SAT and Enhanced ACT how U.S. universities are currently using scores in admissions and how institution-specific exams such as the Bocconi, IE, and Esade admissions tests differ in purpose, structure, and timing.
We will also consider challenges particularly relevant to students in the Americas, including testing timelines, access, and preparing for multiple admissions systems simultaneously.
Attendees will leave better equipped to answer the questions families ask most: Does this student need to test? Which test makes sense? When should they begin? And how should testing fit into a broader global university strategy?
- Sean Quinn, Onsen Education
CONNECTION OVER PRESENTATION: MODERNIZING COLLEGE VISITS FOR COUNSELORS & REPS
College visits are moving away from standard presentations toward interactive, high-value experiences for high school students and university admissions representatives. This dynamic, practical session equips college counselors and university reps with actionable strategies for stronger partnership to maximize student engagement before, during, and after a visit. This session offers discussion, fresh ideas, and proven approaches to transform routine visits into memorable, impactful sessions with students and families through partnership between university representatives and high school counselors.
- Maria Jose Lamadrid, American School Foundation of Monterrey
- Lupe Alfonso, Rice University
- Natalia Zabala, Fordham University
- Steven Johanson, UWC Costa Rica
STUDY IN CANADA: NAVIGATING EDUCATION OPTIONS, ADMISSIONS, TRENDS & IMMIGRATION
This presentation provides an overview of Canadian post-secondary education, with a focus on current admissions requirements, emerging trends, program and institution options, and pathways for international students. Participants will gain practical insights into choosing the right educational pathway, understanding the admissions process, and exploring recent immigration post-secondary studies pathways and trends.
- Gabriela Facchini, Niagara College
- Carolina Palmer, Queen's University
- Shabeer Amirali, University of Guelph
HELPING STUDENTS CHOOSE WHEN CAREERS KEEP CHANGING
This interactive session will examine how AI, automation, digital transformation and wider economic and social forces are expected to reshape jobs, entry-level roles and the skills graduates will need by 2030. Drawing on global evidence and specific trends from Latin America, it will provide a practical framework for considering how students can combine strong disciplinary knowledge with AI and data fluency, business understanding, human judgment, creativity and adaptability. However, the session is not intended simply to present forecasts. Its central purpose is to create a conversation among counselors and invite them to share how their schools are already responding: how they discuss changing careers with students, help them choose academic pathways, integrate technology responsibly into guidance, and encourage projects, portfolios and real-world experiences that demonstrate capability. Together, participants will identify effective practices, common challenges and concrete ideas for helping young people make informed choices while preparing for careers that will continue to evolve throughout their working lives.
- Javier Parra, CUNEF Universidad
- Maria Angelica Alvarez Calderon, Colegio San Silvestre
Session 6
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
What does it take to build an international student ambassador programme that works? This session will equip participants with practical, adaptable strategies for recruiting, training, supporting, and retaining student ambassadors across different institutional contexts, including varying budgets, staffing capacities, and student populations.
International Student Ambassador programmes are often positioned as a recruitment tool, but their impact extends much further. When designed effectively, they strengthen student belonging, develop leadership, improve enrolment outcomes, and create authentic peer-to-peer connections that support more confident decision-making.
At a time when students navigate an overwhelming volume of information and increasingly use AI tools to search, compare, and shortlist institutions, trusted human voices are becoming more, not less, important. Student ambassadors provide this credibility by translating institutional messaging into lived, relatable experience.
Admissions professionals from High Point University (North Carolina), the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), and Erasmus University College (the Netherlands) will showcase three distinct models: volunteer-based approaches rooted in student organisations, structured paid ambassador teams within admissions offices, and hybrid models shaped by institutional context and resources.
The session will also explore how these principles apply in secondary education, where counsellors and educators use peer-ambassador approaches to strengthen student voice, engagement, and post-secondary readiness.
- Barbara Blaschke, High Point University
- John Stewart, University of St. Thomas
- Shelley de Vos, Erasmus University College
In student recruitment, counseling, and enrollment communications, professionals often overwhelm students and families with information instead of creating clarity and connection. This interactive session introduces the PEACE Framework, adapted from the StoryBrand communication approach, to help participants rethink how they engage prospective students, parents, and partners.
Rather than leading with rankings, program details, or institutional facts, attendees will explore how curiosity, empathy, and clear messaging can increase engagement and trust across websites, emails, presentations, webinars, and one-to-one conversations. Participants will examine why fact-dumping often causes audiences to disengage and how simple shifts in communication can help students better understand their options and next steps.
Designed for professionals across all experience levels and institution types, including universities, secondary schools, independent counselors, and organizations, this workshop-style session emphasizes practical application and hands-on learning. Through guided exercises and real-world examples, attendees will begin reframing their own messaging using the PEACE Framework and leave with tools they can immediately apply in recruitment and relationship-building conversations.
- Heidi Buffington, Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus
THE UK STUDENT JOURNEY: FROM APPLICATION TO CAREER SUCCESS
Choosing to study abroad is about far more than selecting a university. Students and families want confidence that they will be supported academically, personally and professionally throughout their journey.
This session explores how UK universities support international students from application through to graduation and beyond. Attendees will gain an overview of the services and opportunities available before arrival, during study and as students prepare to launch their careers. From pre-arrival guidance, orientation programmes and wellbeing services to academic skills development, careers education, employer partnerships, placements and entrepreneurship opportunities, UK universities are designed to help students thrive at every stage.
The session will also explore how universities in the UK are committed to fostering inclusive learning environments, alongside the practical support services available to help students feel safe, supported and connected while studying abroad.
As students and families across the Americas place increasing emphasis on graduate outcomes and return on investment, participants will explore practical examples, employability data sources and key messages that can help them communicate the long-term value of a UK education. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how UK universities combine academic excellence, student support and career development to prepare graduates for success in a global workforce.
- Emma Burgess, Royal Holloway, University of London
- Dara Austin, UWE Bristol
Session 7
1:00 - 2:00 PM
NAVIGATING GLOBAL ADMISSIONS: TRENDS, STRATEGY, AND THE STUDENTS WE OVERLOOK
College applications don't have to be chaotic. But right now, in this landscape, they usually are, and the students who pay for it most are the ones who don't fit the traditional counseling-office mold.
This session runs on three lenses.
Trends. What's actually shifting: application volume, selectivity, test score reporting, international student patterns. Not theory: what's happening right now.
Strategy. How the pieces (academics, activities, essays, recommendations, timing) come together into one coherent story across borders. This matters most for internationally mobile and Latin American students, where the story has to travel.
The students we overlook. Expats. Homeschoolers. Hybrid learners. The "invisible" international students who don't have a well-resourced counseling office standing behind them, and who fall through every model built for someone else.
Counselors leave with tools that work for every student in the room, not just the ones the system was designed for.
- Kristi Steele, KC360
This session explores the delicate line between meaningful university guidance and unintended pressure in international student recruitment. Through practical scenarios, ethical reflection, and a simple fit-first partnership framework, participants will examine how counselors and university representatives can collaborate more transparently, protect student choice, and still achieve institutional goals responsibly.
Designed for both school counselors and university representatives, the session will offer tools to identify student fit, communicate expectations clearly, reduce transactional recruitment dynamics, and build partnerships where students, families, schools, and universities all benefit.
- Tania Yaoska Krupskaia Rojas Vargas, Constructor University gGmbH
BEYOND THE TEMPLATE: BUILDING A SCHOOL PROFILE THAT WORKS FOR YOUR STUDENTS
Your school profile is the document admission officers read before they review your students. At many international schools, it's also the document nobody owns: inherited, rarely revised, and quietly working against the students it's meant to contextualize.
We'll spend most of this session looking at real profiles from schools across South America and talking candidly about what lands with a reader, what confuses, and what gets skipped. Our focus is the grade distribution graph, the most powerful and least understood element of a profile, including when it helps and when it does more harm than no graph at all.
Kate will then walk through her process for building a distribution table at a school that issues no numerical grades. Counselors facing qualitative marks, shifting scales, or unreliable cumulative GPAs will leave with a replicable model and materials to apply to their own data.
Throughout, we'll address where profile projects actually stall: getting your head of school, academic director, and registrar to agree to change.
Bring your questions and your own profile problems we've reserved real time for discussion.
- Kate Cottrell, Colegio Hacienda Los Alcaparros
- Courtney Salazar, Colorado College
THE NETHERLANDS AS A EUROPEAN STUDY HUB: WHAT COUNSELORS SHOULD KNOW
As student mobility continues to shift, more students are exploring study options across Europe. The Netherlands is a well-established destination globally, though still less familiar in some regions. In this session, representatives from different types of Dutch higher education institutions, including research universities, universities of applied sciences, and university colleges, together with a regional high school counselor, will share a practical overview of studying in the Netherlands.
We will cover the structure of the Dutch higher education system, admissions processes, and key considerations such as tuition fees, housing, and student life. A particular focus will be placed on cultural transition: what students can expect when moving to the Netherlands, the realities of adapting to a new academic and social environment, and the types of students who tend to thrive here.
We will also briefly touch on internships, career prospects, and post-study work opportunities, including options for staying in the Netherlands after graduation.
- Daniela Avramova, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
- Kim Zwitserloot, University College Utrecht
- Manuel Avila, Hotelschool The Hague
- Jennifer Tassell, International School of Panama
BEYOND THE OFFICE: BUILDING COMMUNITY-POWERED COLLEGE COUNSELING BEYOND MAJOR RECRUITMENT HUBS
For counselors working in smaller markets or schools with limited visibility‚ such as local bilingual schools or programs outside major recruitment hubs‚ building a strong college counseling program often begins within the local community. Establishing trust with students, families, and school leadership is the first step toward creating a sustainable and impactful program.
This session will explore how counselors can intentionally build that foundation through creative, low-cost programming that engages families and empowers students. Examples include career, internship, and volunteer fairs school-wide service days that help students build while involving parents senior-led university fairs where students share their application experiences and parent coffees or mock admissions workshops that demystify the university process.
Once a culture of trust and engagement is established, these initiatives can also attract university representatives by demonstrating a school's commitment to student preparation and college-going culture. Well-organized events such as mini-fairs, regional visits, and university-focused field trips can position smaller schools as valuable stops on recruitment schedules.
Using examples from high schools in Brasilia and Belo Horizonte, as well as university admissions colleagues, this session will offer practical strategies for strengthening counseling programs, supporting families, and building lasting partnerships with universities.
- Elizabeth Michelle Ray, School of the Nations
- Paulina Bula, Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte
- Shona Evans, University of Connecticut
- Barbara Blaschke, High Point University
Closing Session
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM