Founded in 2007, ACCIS was formed to offer independent school-based college counselors a professional association focused on the specific needs and challenges of their work with students, parents, and others. Its intent was to supplement existing organizations, such as the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and to provide additional and more focused professional development opportunities to this specific constituent group. As the Association has grown in both membership and national presence, colleges across the country continue to express interest in hosting ACCIS programs, a testament to the important work of college counselors who support students and colleagues alike. Both the Association’s growth and extensive programming are the products of an expansive network of leaders and volunteers dedicated to the Association’s mission. Mission Statement: The Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools is an educational leader and professional community that empowers its members as they educate and support students, families, and institutions through a lens of equity, inclusion, and belonging in an ever-changing college admission landscape. Vision statements: - ACCIS will deliver timely, relevant, and innovative programming to inspire and inform members in their college counseling work; - ACCIS will model learning and growth while leading change in independent schools to center diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in college admission counseling; - ACCIS will work collaboratively to address the social, ethical, and pedagogical forces at play in the world we live in and their intersection with higher education.