A Measurement of and Testament to How Far We Have Come
by Emily Snyder, IECA Member (Virginia), and Chair, IECA College Committee
I just returned from the PCACAC Conference that Mark Sklarow referred to in his most recent post to this blog.
Five events occurred during the Conference that reaffirmed that my decision to attend was the right choice for me: (1) having the opportunity to connect and network with admissions professionals in a small, personalized environment, and becoming updated on exciting, new programs and changes at the colleges and universities in attendance; (2) participating in the panel moderated by Mark Sklarow; (3) learning that three public school administrators in my area have become believers in the value of a credential for school based counselors and educational consultants; (4) being informed about upcoming changes to the 2010-2011 Common Application; and (5) seeing a planned, relaxing evening among three colleagues quickly morph into “dinner for 7″.
Mark has already spoken about the value of our panel presentation — I was glad to play a role in helping educate others, challenging and dispelling myths, and providing a more accurate interpretation of the role we play in helping the students we work with achieve successful outcomes.
Learning that some public school administrators, these three in particular because they are in my area, are on board with the idea of a certification for all those who provide educational guidance to students, regardless of whether they are independents consultants or school based personnel, was a bittersweet experience for me –it helped me see how far we as a professional association have come, while at the same time shed light on how far we have to go.
It was just a few years ago that The Common Application made changes to its format without much user input or advance notice. From the groundswell of concerns that arose, advice from different constituencies is now a regular part of the yearly review process. During this morning’s presentation, 7 of the 20 (I believe that’s an accurate count) attendees who were independent consultants, 6 were IECA members. Let’s hope that sooner rather than later IECA consultants will be given equal opportunities, with The Common Application and other organizations that impact students, to provide input and have proportional representation at their advisory and decision making tables.
All that aside, for me, the MOST IMPORTANT experience was dinner amongst 7 individuals who as little as 5 years ago would never have most likely all agreed to socialize over dinner at the same table. At that time, some of these very same individuals were still on “the other side” of the fence regarding the validity and value of educational consultants. If not for the ongoing efforts of individual members and IECA as an organization, who would have thought it possible.
Mark’s comment yesterday about the young woman who couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about is revealing; for me, in a different way than anyone might anticipate.
Five years ago at the university this young woman now works at I made a phone call to the admissions office on behalf of an applicant and his family — there were very valid reasons why they were not in the position to make the call themselves. Without any knowledge of my credentials, I was told in no uncertain terms that my phone call was not welcome. That same applicant, who is not much younger than the admissions representative who spoke up yesterday, will graduate from that very same institution next week, and will be starting law school in the fall; my, how far we have come.
Related posts:
- As Educational Consulting Moves from Adolescence to Adulthood, Let’s End the Apologies and Make Ourselves Heard—in the Best Interest of Our Clients
- Nearly 100 Presenters will Examine Hot Topics in College Admission, Boarding Schools, Special Purpose Programs & Independent Educational Consulting
- Information Dump: The Summer Training Experience for Upcoming Independent Educational Consultants
- In this Weekend’s Classifieds: Become an Independent Educational Consultant
- At IECA Conferences, Education Shares Spotlight with Networking: 5 Rules for Success
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Tagged: admissions, admissions representatives, changes in consulting practices, college consulting, consulting, educational consulting, IECA members, independent consultants, PCACAC, school-based counselors, The Common Application
Emily,
Thank you for your sharing your thoughtful comments and observations. The dynamics between Independent Ed Consultant with both high school counselors and college admissions recruiters is fascinating and yet remains a puzzle. Sometimes I feel as if I am making two steps forward and one step backward.
Having presented sessions on this topic at both IECA and SACAC conferences several years ago, more so than ever, this topic continues to warrant open and productive dialog.
I look forward to hearing about the discussions that will take place in your committee meeting in Toronto.
Best,
Kathie Carnahan
Kathie,
I can safely say you are not alone in your feelings! As you know, how we can reach out to better collaborate with school counselors has been THE topic of discussion during our College Committee meetings.
During my term as Chair, the Standing Committee members thoughtfully reviewed proprosals from members on ways to improve relationships, always mindful of two things: 1) variances in how consultants are perceived, and; 2) that whatever we recommended would need to be general enough to not ignore those differences but specific enough to be useful to all members.
IECA has done an outstanding job of outreach nationally; the time has come to help members reach out individually at the grass roots level. The next Chair is set to continue the dialogue with the membership and to work towards providing some guidance that members would find helpful.
I hope you will continue to educate others about what it is we really do, dispelling the myths and demonstrating our professionalism and desire to work with others; and I hope others will join you in this effort.
Emily
Emily,
I’m really encouraged to hear about your recent experiences. My last participation in a PCACAC conference was very lonely and discouraging. Although I maintain membership, I haven’t been back since. It really sounds as if attitudes are changing, and I’d like to be front and center in Mark’s movement to “Make Ourselves Heard”!
Thanks for the update.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
My sense is that while a small number, all of the independent consultants in attendance found a way to engage in good conversations with others, and that each of us in our own way was able to continue to break down the barriers that have existed for too long.
I hope other members will work within their own communities to bridge the gap, making it easier for those who will follow us — but most importantly, making it better for all the students we work with.
Emily