by Lisa Ransdell, Ph.D., IECA Associate Member (Colorado) In the Feb 14/21, 2011 edition of The New Yorker there is a great piece by Malcolm Gladwell on college rankings: “The Order of Things: What College Rankings Really Tell Us.” Gladwell uses the analogy of automobile rankings to illustrate the folly of the one-size-fits-most approach used … Read more »
by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA One of IECA newest professional members, Corey Fischer (Virginia), brought to my attention a quote that, let’s just say, ruffled her feathers. Corey knows well the world of college admissions. She worked at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Rhode Island before going to the other side of … Read more »
by Brian Crisp, M.S.M., IECA Associate Member (North Carolina) First and foremost, I am and will always be a teacher. During my career, I have had the privilege to teach a wide range of learners from preschoolers to graduate students. Students, regardless of their age, have never ceased to amaze me with their voracious desire … Read more »
by Emily Snyder, M.A., IECA Professional Member (Virginia) Yesterday I attended a meeting to learn more about how to utilize NACAC’s Member-to-Member portal for sharing information. What ultimately emerged from the meeting, however, was a much more philosophical discussion—which I found quite valuable —mostly surrounding the impact of technology on ethics, current trends, and future … Read more »
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Adolescents,college admission trends,college admissions,college applications,college consulting,electronic media,IECs,independent educational consultants,NACAC,school-based counselors,Social Networking Technology | 
1 comment But the book is not, as some have led you to believe, simply a recitation by Amy Chua of why her method of parenting—the Chinese way—is superior to permissive Western parenting. Rather it helps understand another mindset. One where allowing a child to stop when something gets tough reinforces failure, while she wanted her daughters to see they could achieve more than they imagined with hard work. More importantly it is a story of two very different daughters and how the “Chinese way” worked for one, but not the other. By book’s end it is clear that the book is really about discovering that children are different, requiring different motivators, parenting, and approaches. And that’s a story that resonates.
Amy Chua will be a featured speaker at the IECA Spring Conference this May in Philadelphia. Watch for conference registration to open in a few days.
Over this past year my husband, Burt, retired from 40 years of practicing law and joined my independent educational consulting practice. Admittedly, he is a novice in helping students navigate their paths through the college admissions process, but Burt is eager to learn about the intricacies of the work that independent educational consultants (IECs) provide and engage with the students through the process.
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| IECs,independent educational consultants,Insights newsletter,UC Irvine Independent Educational Consultant Certificate Program,UCLA Extension College Counseling Certificate | 14 comments by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA I am frequently asked the question—by the media, by independent educational consultants (IECs), and other professionals—about the IEC’s relative obligations to the student, the parents, and the school, college, and program. The last of these is easiest. IECs have a singular obligation to admission directors at all levels: to … Read more »
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| college applications,college consulting,Consulting Business,educational consulting,Finding the Right Fit,IECA member consultants,IECs,independent educational consultants,parents,school consulting,special needs consulting,Students,Therapeutic Consulting | 8 comments by Sarah Brachman, Manager of Communications, IECA I recently attended a technology conference hosted by ASAE (American Society for Association Executives) in Washington, DC. The conference featured sessions on social technology strategies, mobile apps, search engine optimization, and emerging technology trends (among many others), but one of the most informative sessions I participated in was … Read more »
by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA Over the last six years I have followed the development of a 501(c)3 charity that seeks to help families lacking financial resources to enroll a family member in the comprehensive care facility that can only be found in an RTC, wilderness therapy program, or emotional growth school. IECA members know … Read more »
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| Adolescent behavioral health,Adolescents,Financial Aid,NATSAP,special needs consulting,Therapeutic Consulting | 8 comments by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA “Pathways to Prosperity,” a report based on a Harvard Graduate School of Education study that was released today, raises questions about the push to send students to post-secondary school. The report, authored by professor Robert Schwartz, notes that just one-third of the jobs being created over the next seven … Read more »