by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

So many wonderful moments at today’s Independent Educational Consultants Association Summer Institute.  Presentations included the Essentials of College and Therapeutic Advising, Advising for Athletes, Social Networking and Entrepreneurship.

Jim Bock, dean of admission and financial aid at Swarthmore College along with Philadelphia University’s Greg Potts and Richard Floyd of Ursinus College shared the view from the other side of the admission desk, while three representatives form The Pathway School met with the Special Needs consultants.

Bock shared that a group of university employees gather each morning over coffee to discuss news events, and just a few weeks ago they were discussing the front page article in The New York Times by Jacques Steinberg.  At the time, they, along with Dean Brock, noted Steinberg’s suggestion to parents that if they were going to look for a consultant, they should look toward IECA as the association working to promote ethical behaviors.

The “coffee club” was excited to look up today and see IECA, the group they were discussing, right there in the building training new and aspiring consultants.

This evening I also had an interesting conversation with STI attendee Dan Hales about the need for consultants to know more about career colleges and other non-traditional options for students completing high school but for whom an academic college career does not seem appropriate.  A great suggestion and one that deserves greater attention.