Educational Consultants and the NY Times Article
A few weeks ago Jacques Steinberg, New York Times education writer and author of the book “The Gatekeepers” took the train down to spend an afternoon with me in Fairfax, Virginia. We had a good meeting examining the growing field of educational consulting, but it was clear Mr. Steinberg has a healthy dose of skepticism about the profession. Over the course of those hours I spoke about the role that IECA plays. Not just in establishing ethical standards, providing training and education, but the critical role we play in protecting consumers.
Together Mr. Steinberg and I looked at some consultants’ Web sites that proclaim their ’success in getting all of their students in to their top choice’ or use language designed to raise parental anxiety or claim to use connections and employ secret methods to secure admission. Of course, these were not the Web sites of IECA members. Members’ sites seek to calm parents and speak of good “matches” or a good fit where a student will thrive academically and socially. I was able to show Mr. Steinberg rejection letters sent to some of those whose Web sites we examined–rejected because they demonstrated a philosophy we find abhorrent.
As I told him that afternoon, my anger is not just formed in the outlandish and untrue claims, but in claiming to gain admission because a consultant claims to know the right people, the right tricks or the right strategy, diminishes the student and her own confidence that she was admitted because she deserved to be, based on hard work and achievement.
By the time he left Fairfax, I was convinced that Mr. Steinberg understood what IECA is all about and the unique and important role we play in setting the standards and protecting students and parents. The New York Times article notes this important role and I hope that families, students, and college admission representatives understand the resolute commitment we at the Independent Educational Consultants Association show toward ethics, reducing parent anxieties, and transforming the discussion from “getting in” to “success as a student.”
I do regret that the article which appeared on the front page of Sunday’s paper does not give adequate space to explaining the positive role that qualified, ethical consultants can and do play in the admission process. As I wrote in previous blogs, students who work with IECA member educational consultants enroll very differently in college as they explore a far wider range of choices and end up in a college that suits their needs and desires, improving their college experience.
When families look to hire an educational consultant and when colleges look for partners in attracting students who will thrive on their campus, IECA looks forward to serving as a partner, with each member motivated only by his or her desire to serve the best interests of the student.
Posted by Mark Sklarow, IECA Executive Director
Related posts:
- The New York Times Article on Independent Counselors
- IECA Members Comment on Consulting and the New York Times Article
- The Role of the Consultant in a College Search
- THE Fundamental Difference Among School and College Consultants: A Brief Primer for Parents
- Looking Back and Ahead: NACAC and Educational Consultants
Mark,
Please don’t fret over Mr. Steinberg and his takeaway from your meeting. He needed sensationalism to get published. The following is my response to the NYT’s article which is probably buried somewhere down around #135 of the comments:
“After plowing through almost 135 comments to Jacques Steinberg’s article on college admissions counselors, I darn near threw in the towel on all the work I’ve put into becoming a certified “snake oil salesman” (and this from the President of my alma mater—then again what do you expect from a “carpetbagger” from Harvard?). I’m a huge fan of Mr. Steinberg and respect the work he’s put into demystifying the college admissions process. But why doesn’t he respect me? And why didn’t he interview me or sit in on one of my counseling sessions?
Because there’s no story in me or what I do on a day-to-day basis. As I’ve said elsewhere (college counselor bashing is currently fashionable), there are crooks in every industry and there’s a con around every corner. The high-end counselors publicized in Steinburg’s piece (you couldn’t pay for such advertising) no more represent the college advising industry than Bernard Madoff represents investment services. Over the years, I’ve been taken by ivy-educated physicians, and an assortment of dentists, roofers, and interior designers. Heck, I’ve even been conned by real estate agents, movers, car salesmen, and one horribly incompetent public school guidance counselor. And sure, some parents and students have regrettably wasted money with college advising services.
So why does this generate such anger and earn so many inches of New York Times real estate? I don’t think it’s really about the money or the regulation of the industry. Otherwise, we’d be reading about other pieces of the college admissions pie like test prep services or highly-marketed publications that rank colleges. What I’m reading is more of an indictment of the entire college admissions process. Where is the fairness? Why do some folks have an edge and others don’t? And on a more personal level: Why didn’t I get into my top-pick school? Why didn’t my child have more offers of admission? And, why did my neighbor’s kid get in when everyone knows he’s such a little rat? Because the process has taken over from the goal, which should be to find “fit” and not “prestige” through a professional and humane system of college advising. And, this is what I do at a rate commensurate with that of a good academic tutor.
Why do I have a business? In the rush to cut budgets, an increasing number of high school students are getting lost in huge guidance caseloads. A substantial percent of my clients have never met with a guidance counselor on a one-to-one basis and have no idea how to go about assessing colleges or college opportunities. Does this mean they should pull themselves up by the bootstraps and persevere in the face of adversity? It appears that way from the commenting parents crowing about their personal triumphs or those of their children (it’s amazing how parents internalize the accomplishments of their children in this business). I believe that if you need help whether in calculus, coiff3ur, interior design, or investment, it’s acceptable to seek it out. Laws of economics sort out how much you pay for the service. And yes, some folks can afford more than others. Does that mean they’ve gained unfair edge? Not necessarily. I may be a bargain, but I’m really pretty good at working with unmotivated, confused kids who need a little boost when it comes to thinking about colleges. Mr. Steinberg, I challenge you to ask them about the value of my service and stop giving free advertising to those who offer something else.”
Nancy
Nicely done, Nancy. Alan
To borrow a line from Syms Department Stores, “An Educated Customer is Our Best Customer.” As much as I would have preferred a more positive article on our industry, I am glad that parents are being made aware of some of the differences that exist among our professionals. The comparisions help to highlight those counselors acting honestly and without resume distortion.
Mandee Heller Adler
http://www.InternationalCollegeCounselors.com
954-253-5719
Wonderfully stated, Nancy!
Mark,
I like your remarks. Here is a letter I posted on the NYT comments.
There are multiple tragedies between the lines of the article on admissions consultants:
+The greed of some independent, uncredentialed and unethical counselors
+The assumption of parents that their children must matriculate at a prestigious school in order to succeed in life
+The anxiety that is aroused in students who, in accord with their parents’ assumptions, equate their own self-worth with their college acceptances
+The loss of enjoyment in the moment for high school students who view their teenage years only as the time to prepare of their transcript
+The inability to appreciate that different students flourish in different environments.
The job of the independent consultant should be to help each client identify the kind of college setting where he or she will thrive, to point her to the specific institutions that are most appropriate for her interests and level of academic engagement, and to lower the anxiety around the process.
Christie Theriot Woodfin, M.Ed., L.P.C., C.E.P. (Certified Educational Planner), Member IECA
For what it’s worth, I’ve made my own reply to Steinberg’s article on my TOEFL blog.