Leadership is not easy. It demands patience, conviction and transparency. In the profession of college admissions and college admissions counseling, it’s
imperative that we have leaders who are true to themselves and committed to the young people who will lead in the future.
Vern Granger holds the respect of thousands of individuals who work in college admission and school counseling. Many of us will descend upon Baltimore this week for the annual conference of the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC). He is the standing Board Chair of our professional organization who doubles as the Director of Undergraduate Admission at the University of Connecticut. With senior admissions positions also from The Ohio State University and North Carolina State University, Vern has overseen seen
admission and enrollment of revered, public, flagship universities and done so with aplomb.
Our interview with him - a must listen - was better than we could have asked for. He offered advice for families, gave us his perspective about the state of
college admissions given the recent SCOTUS decision and, most admirably, was vulnerable enough to discuss his own occasional imposter syndrome and how all aspiring leaders in the profession can confront theirs and persevere.
Vern is a dad to one but a father figure to many. He watched his own daughter apply to college in 2022 and knows how important compassion and communication are in this process. A true man of the people, servant and leader are the two words that best describe him. We are honored to have spent this 45 minutes with him and now we present his wisdom to you.
