Austin, Tex. — Who wants to hand over a business card for a chance to win a free iPod? Just about everyone. And what’s wrong with that?
Plenty, if you’re one of the more idealistic high-school counselors attending the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling here this week. On Thursday several of them complained to The Chronicle about the number of vendors — nearly 200 — who were hawking their goods and services in the vast exhibitors hall. A few said they worried that the specter of commercialism was creeping ever further into higher education.
But what’s a convention without swag? All attendees here received a free pink pen from the Common Application and a free calculator from Colledgedata.com, a college-planning Web site. At their booths, exhibitors offered free baseball caps, bottles of wine, massages, and a chance to win an iPod. A new company called TuitionBids.com (motto: “May the best bank win”) handed out promotional flash drives and offered rickshaw rides to local restaurants. Maguire Associates, an admissions-consulting group, showed admirable restraint by setting out nothing more than a humble bowl of apples.
As the founder of one new company explained, Nacac’s meeting presents a crucial opportunity to do business, and so some exhibitors naturally do whatever they can to stand out. Nobody did a better job of that than the National Research Center for College & University Admissions, which, in a nod to the Old West, had constructed an elaborate wooden saloon (where a fiddler and banjo player were scheduled to perform).
Recent scandals in the student-loan industry apparently made some visitors skittish about accepting any free stuff (one expressed concern about the ethical implications of taking a tiny piece of candy). Still, many passersby were quick to applaud the presence of so many companies that support students and educators.
“We live in a commercial society,” said one high-school counselor. “If you don’t like it, move to Cuba.” —Eric Hoover
More Chronicle coverage of the Nacac meeting:
Frustrations With Standardized Testing Boil at Annual Admissions Conference Report Notes Trends in College Admissions Common Application Group’s Leader Hears Complaints About Online Version of Form
