The NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) Conference in September was a pretty fantastic time. Here are a few of my takeaways from my time there. Some of these thoughts are serious anecdotes regarding the industry while others are simply some personal reflections regarding Indy.
Reflection 1: Indianapolis does not suck.
When I found out (several months ago) that we would be attending the NACAC conference, my first question was, “Great! Where is it? Vegas? New Orleans? San Diego? Miami?”
To my dismay, the response was “Indianapolis.”
Now, my reaction was admittedly ignorant, unnecessarily negative and based on no real knowledge about the city. I believe what I uttered was something like, “Nice. We should scoop up tickets for next year’s conference in Cleveland too.” Indy did not deserve my premature, unfounded judgement (sorry Cleveland, you didn’t deserve that either)…
I did not have high hopes for the city of Indianapolis, but here are my takeaways having spent a great few days there:
A. Indianapolis is very clean for a major city.
Indianapolis, for what is considered a major city, is nearly spotless. Downtown is not an abandoned, blighted wreck like some American cities of note. There is virtually no trash scattered about. No stink. Nothing. It is actually really, really clean.
B. Indy’s downtown has a lot to offer.
One thing I had heard about Indianapolis was the there was “not much to do downtown.” I disagree. We went to a different restaurant or bar every night, found new fun places for lunch each day, and had a genuinely fantastic time exploring the downtown area.
C. The people are friendly.
Indianapolis was full of friendly folks — something the Midwest is generally know for. This positive stereotype of the Midwest does not escape the city of Indianapolis.
D. It feels very small.
Indianapolis has a small town vibe to it. Although a nightlife exists downtown, the city is far from feeling crowded. Many people feel overwhelmed in some of America’s larger cities, but Indianapolis feels more like a town with tall buildings than a concrete jungle.
E. There is a lot of fast food to be had.
My doctor who just called me yesterday to give me a not-so-great update on my cholesterol would have made a sad face had she seen us in Indy. This has got to be the fast food capital of the world. In only a few days we found a way to consume Steak & Shake, White Castle and Burger King. Our hotel was connected to a Waffle House, which was across the street from a Taco Bell and next to a McDonalds.
Despite these positive revelations, I still harbor a fierce and unwavering hatred towards the Colts.
Reflection 2: There are some awesome people in this industry.
We met a lot of great people in Indianapolis. Here are just a few of our friends in the industry:
Niche
TESTIVE
TeenLife
QuadLyfe & VisitDays
Reflection 3: Assumptions about our product validated
We knew going in that this would be a big opportunity to collect feedback on our new app that is set to launch in only a few short days. We had our first demo-able product that visitors could engage with right in front of us. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive as we took hundreds of emails from people wanting a notification on the day the app launches. If you want to join this hoard of folks who will get the app first, sign up here!
Even more exciting days ahead for ApplyKit…
Cover photo by Serge Melki
