by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

From the NACAC National Conference in Baltimore

I am writing today from an amazing, overflow crowd jammed into the ballroom at the Marriott at the Inner Harbor. This annual lunch of IECA member independent educational consultants and admission directors and deans from the nation’s colleges is—by far—the largest gathering we’ve ever seen. This great turnout, some 300 college representatives and 70 IECA Members has grown by 40% in just the past two years.

In large part, this growth reflects the increased acceptance and support for educational consulting among admission professionals. Many colleges have shared their commitment to working with IECA members, as students referred to them know more about the school, possess good reasons to support the quality of the match, which all increases the likelihood of student success. One director of admission at a large Midwestern state university told me he values IECA consultants who help to attract appropriate students from communities beyond their usual feeder areas.

What these college reps shared based on personal observations is borne out by facts. Students who work with IECA consultants spend more time exploring possibilities and know more about the colleges they apply to. They are more likely to attend colleges out-of-state and are more likely to remain in a college through graduation.

IECA President Diane Geller and College Committee Chair Emily Snyder took the opportunity offered by the large crowd to emphasize IECA’s leadership in promoting strict ethics that include ensuring that students remain in control of their own search and application process, that consultants do not re-write essays or ‘package’ students and that IECA rules stress the role of consultants to ease, not prey on, parent anxieties.

Today was a great day of sharing, cooperation, and support all in the name of providing great counseling and opportunities for students in their search for college success.

Related posts:

1. Looking Back and Ahead: NACAC and Educational Consultants
2. THE Fundamental Difference Among School and College Consultants: A Brief Primer for Parents
3. SAT Materials Available to Member Consultants through IECA
4. College-Bound Students who Work with Educational Consultants Enroll Very Differently Than Peers–New Survey Shows
5. Note to Colleges: An Unethical Practice Domestically is No Less Wrong Internationally

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 24th, 2009 at 11:29 am and is filed under college consulting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.