2010: A Transformational Year for Independent Educational Consulting Comes to a Close
by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA
When we look back many years from now at the changing nature of admissions and counseling, I suspect we’ll recall 2010 as a transformational year for the profession of independent educational consulting. So much has transpired this year that the profession itself has changed, public perception has grown, attention paid to the field by the media, professional colleagues, admission representatives, and businesses has been fundamentally altered and even what we call ourselves has evolved.
So here are my TOP 5 Ways the profession has changed.
5. A Harvard-backed study explored the profession of independent educational consulting and proclaimed it both in a period of dramatic growth and increased awareness and success.
Yet the same report noted that it remained an “aspiring profession and challenged IECA as the profession’s leading voice to create the norms necessary to be a recognized profession.” Yet, in my view, as 2010 wore on, we met that challenge. We created the Standards of Excellence for all specialty areas, created the curriculum being used by the only college program in independent educational consulting, and we demonstrated the strength of our Principles of Good Practice as we revoked the membership of two independent educational consultants (IECs). In the Harvard researcher’s view, a single voice needed to emerge to guide the profession. Even though there are other state, regional, and national groups where consultants gather, we find growing evidence that their ethical guidelines and membership criteria look more and more like IECA’s every day. As numerous outsiders have concluded, this is truly a legitimate and honorable profession of passionate and knowledgeable professionals. IECA is proud to be its leading voice.
4. Despite the economic hits that impacted the work of IECs in some regions of the country and among some specialty areas (notably the Midwest and those working in the placements of students with behavioral and emotional needs), those working in the field not only survived but also in some ways thrived in the toughest economic times.
Such strength demonstrates the value of IECs. While most educational organizations (including those serving IECs) saw their memberships flatline—blaming the economy—IECA’s membership surged over the past year, reflecting the growth of the profession. Our Summer Training Institute achieved its highest attendance at Swarthmore, and more people are affiliating at all levels: student, associate, and professional membership, suggesting good success among those with experience as well as those just entering the profession. One of the trends that is worth watching is individual practitioners adding associates and partners to meet increased public demand.
3. The growth in the numbers of students exploring schools, universities, and programs in the United States, and attention paid to international student recruitment, was unmistakable this year.
The role of agents vs. consultants was discussed at length among boarding school admission representatives and was Topic #1 at NACAC this year. IECA was front and center in asserting our view that taking fees in exchange for placement of a student is unethical and a corruption of the educational mission of schools. This view was born out in yearlong reporting of abuses in such payments by career colleges/vocational schools. In recent meetings I had with NACAC, Hobsons, and College Solved, the impact of international students was a dominant area of conversation.
2. The first independent research conducted on the use of IECs (by Lipman Hearne with the NRCCUA) published a finding that shocked the college admission world.
With consultants typically working quietly behind the scenes, few colleges had any idea how many freshmen came to their campus on the suggestion of an IEC. Now we know: last year, 26% of high achieving seniors reporting using an IEC in their college search and application; a number that grows when schools look at the percentage who seek college out-of-state or at a private institution. When IECA presented these findings at NACAC this year, hundreds of colleges responded to the news by increasing their outreach to our members. In just the few months since the report was issued, colleges now routinely seek to connect with IECA members when they travel to visit communities, invite IECs to participate in college tours, and have registered to be presenters, panelists, and attendees at IECA conferences. It is hard to remember that just a dozen years ago many colleges “refused” to acknowledge or welcome IECs. Now the handful of colleges with that view seem stuck deeply in the past with a view outside the mainstream.
1. “Independent counselor.” “Ed consultant.” “College coach.” “Educational planner.” “Private counselor.” Prior to this year, there were scores of names that those in the profession assigned themselves.
As a consequence, search engine results were often ineffective. For example if an IEC calls herself a “private counselor,” she is unlikely to be found if someone googles “educational consultant.” Yet, as the Harvard study suggested, there was a need for a single formal name for the profession that everyone could rally around. That name emerged in 2010. The first-ever certificate in the field (at UC Irvine) chose “Independent Educational Consultant” (or IEC for short). So did BOTH studies noted above: the Harvard and the Lipman Hearne study; the media almost universally came to use the same name as the professional title as well. We can chart an immediate growth in those googling “IEC” or “Independent Educational Consultant,” with such searches showing a dramatic increase. After all, if that is the term colleges, newspaper and magazine writers, and now associations are using, that is what the public has adopted. Given this change, we began urging our members to use this longer, but more value description immediately. Hundreds adopted the change, altering Web sites, business cards, and more, to reflect the generally agreed upon phrase. This is one more critical step to general public awareness.
Related posts:
- Nearly 100 Presenters will Examine Hot Topics in College Admission, Boarding Schools, Special Purpose Programs & Independent Educational Consulting
- IECA’s 34th Year Comes to Close with an Eye to the Future
- Independent Educational Consulting At the Tipping Point: What Colleges Need to Know as Private College Consulting Explodes
- In this Weekend’s Classifieds: Become an Independent Educational Consultant
- Information Dump: The Summer Training Experience for Upcoming Independent Educational Consultants
Permalink
| 
Admission Representatives,Consulting Business,Economy and Consultants,educational consultants,IECs,Students | 
Tagged: 26%, admissions, admissions representatives, agents vs. consultants, changes in consulting practices, college consulting, economy, Harvard, Lipman Hearne, NACAC, Summer Training Institute
Good article, Mark. It is information like this that helps all of us in the college planning business to get the word out to families who are seeking help with the college search and application process. You do a real service with your posts.
Susie Watts
Denver, Colorado
These are some of the many reasons why I am thrilled to be a member of IECA. To have the kind of leadership, the high level of collegiality with my fellow IECs, and the mentoring and support of this organization makes this work with students and families so rewarding.