by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

From the NACAC Conference in Baltimore

I’ve discovered today what happens when 100 IECA Members (loyal, enthusiastic members) along with another 100 alumni of IECA training programs (Summer Training Institute and Transitioning Workshop) come together at a NACAC conference. They create an amazing buzz about IECA, growth in the field and the association, and enhance the opportunity to share information about the Association and our mission with others.

That level of enthusiasm tells just a little about the feel of the NACAC conference so far.

Coming off of Thursday’s lunch, where more than 375 people jammed our annual gathering for members and college admission reps, much discussion has focused on IECA’s high membership standards and ethical guidelines, including a prohibition against actions and statement designed to prey on family and student anxieties.

Late Thursday, standing in the IECA booth (for those in Baltimore join us at booth #1005) there was a steady stream of college and university representatives coming by to thank us. Yes, for some to thank us for lunch, but for many more it was to thank us for setting high standards and assuring that our IECA members are knowledgeable, ethical, and student-centered. These folks were ENTHUSIASTIC about working with consultants who understand that it’s about a great match and long-term success and not simply about “getting in.” We look forward to seeing them at a future conference, hosting a tour, or connecting on our Facebook page.

Our members will also appreciate hearing that many companies have come by wanting to talk to us about offering products and services to IECA members. We’ll be following up in the coming weeks and look forward to offering our members new benefits.

Finally, a special congratulations to the two raffle drawing winners at our lunch. The individuals each won a gift card to Starbucks, and the schools they work for each receive a free registration (including meals and hotel) at an upcoming IECA conference.  The winners:

Joanne Lynch, assistant dean of admission at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI and Lynn Boehne, director of admission services at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

Related posts:

1. Looking Back and Ahead: NACAC and Educational Consultants
2. Colleges Turn Out by the Hundreds to Connect with IECA Member Educational Consultants
3. What Makes the IECA Conference Unique? “No Where Else…”
4. IECA Members Participate with College Week Live
5. Note to Colleges: An Unethical Practice Domestically is No Less Wrong Internationally

This entry was posted on Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 7:58 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.