by Mark H. Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Yesterday, I was able to spend several hours in Los Angeles with some of IECA’s local members. In all, 27 members took part in our gathering—a wonderful number by any standard, but almost remarkable in the short notice we provided. More remarkable still is that they gathered not to hear an expert on educational testing or a panel of admission directors, but rather to hear me talk about the state of the educational consulting profession, trends as I see them, and then to share their questions, thoughts, and hopes for the field and the association.

Most in the room were surprised to learn of two major, critical studies announced in the last year that readers of this blog may recall: a major survey demonstrated that 26% of high achieving students use educational consultants in their college search; and the second was the recently released study by Harvard on what they called the “aspiring profession” of educational consulting that identified IECA’s leadership over and over again. That so few of our members knew of these studies (let alone their potential significance) was a reminder that we must rely on traditional forms of communication as well as new media.

More importantly was the genuine enthusiasm in the room about the importance of these studies and ideas for ensuring that the college community understands the significant and important role IECA plays. Many seemed ready to assist in our outreach efforts.

Of course we also discussed the ups and downs of boarding school and therapeutic program advising and how the economic downturn has had a major impact, particularly on the latter. I shared my view that the days when nearly 100% of students in special needs programs came from IECA client referrals were likely gone but, like boarding schools, programs will discover that consultant referrals may be the difference between a program being 2/3 full or completely full (perhaps the difference between a program closing its doors, or not). More significantly, many programs freely admit that the students sent by consultants (as opposed to the Web) are a better match for their program.

I was rightly asked if we made any changes to the conference program based on the survey of consultants and program reps. When I mentioned many of the changes were implemented (we accepted all recommendations but one), there was genuine satisfaction that IECA was responding to attendees. I also noted one frustration from members that we’d like to help change. In recent years special needs programs have been sending MARKETING representatives to conferences. Overwhelmingly IECA members tell us they want counselors and therapists to attend, rather than marketers.

I was asked about the movie “In 500 Words.” We not only plan to show the film at our Fall Conference, but the creators will actually be on site to lead a discussion. Over 200 registrants have already signed up to watch the movie and discuss! We were asked to look into the possibility of co-branding with the producers to gain rights to the film and workbook so members could use these with clients.

There were a number of questions about education and training, and using new technologies like webinars to bring education to members.

What struck me the most was the genuine excitement in the room about joining together (and the genuine regret from dozens more local members who were not available). I found it a bit sad that we needed name tags, until I realized that new members and growing numbers are signs of a healthy, growing organization (despite our east coast beginning, IECA now has more members in California than any other state!). Attendees excitedly discussed establishing a couple of regional IECA groups: one for Los Angeles, the other for Orange County. As I listened to discussions, ideas, and planning, I realized the tremendous power that comes from members joining together, acting together, comparing notes and ideas. It is this collaboration that makes IECA so strong, and their work with families so successful and rewarding.

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By Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

This week I am attending the national conference of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership) conference in Los Angeles. During an early breakout on Sunday, the presenter reminded us of the definition of “associations.” They are defined as organizations where individuals with similar goals or interests join together. It is that simple.

Yet isn’t it accurate to say that this is what social networking sites are really all about? Like many of you, I joined Facebook to connect with those with whom I shared a similar history—family, friends from Philadelphia, and students I taught. Soon I discovered communities of those who belonged to the same swim club I frequented as a teen, attended the same synagogue and the same schools, where reminiscing ruled the posts.

In recent years my social networking has taken a new turn: I have joined the IECA community on Facebook to connect with educational consultants, and through LinkedIn I exchange information and ideas with fellow association executives. We discuss the changing landscape of member relations, share new ideas for conferences and distance learning, argue ethics and expenses, and examine topics like, well, social media and blogging.

One discussion that kept popping up among the gathered association professionals this past weekend was whether the need still exists for us. After all, if LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and others are allowing anyone to join communities of like-minded individuals—the very definition of associations—and they do it essentially at no cost, why should anyone join an association?

The answer is one that will please some and distress others among my colleagues. It seems that those associations ONLY built around sharing, communicating, and exchanging are doomed to fail, as new technologies not only offer these abilities, but they do it better and cheaper. If you could start a LinkedIn Group for tutors and get a real exchange of members, why pay to join an association built around exchanging information among tutors?

Yet other associations seem ready to gain in this era of ‘new media.’ Those associations that form around a commitment to certain ideals; who stand firm on membership criteria (so “membership” holds greater meaning than a Facebook “friend”); who develop and enforce ethical and knowledge-based standards; who are committed to ensuring that not only does all information get shared, but that important information—new information—gets taught, shared, discussed, and instituted as a framework for professional success; these associations are poised to grow and succeed as others devolve into Web-based pseudo-clubs.

So what does this mean specifically for the Independent Educational Consultants Association? I am confident that we fall into the second category. Evidence is everywhere. We have not only maintained our requirements for membership, we have strengthened them. This year we established our key-competencies in our Standards of Excellence—the only such comprehensive document for this profession, which was recently singled out by a Harvard study as evidence of our leadership. We have acted in just the past month, as we have in the past, to remove members who violate our Principles of Good Practice. And with this, our membership has grown significantly, even in this tough economy.

This growth, in an ironic twist, has strengthened other forms of networking: regional groups have started, or are organizing, in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, among others. Affinity groups are joining together new moms; expanding awareness on issues involving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people in our industry; technology gurus; and more. Our Facebook page is closing in on 1,000 fans and the IECA blog is read by hundreds. Why would IECA’s own social media efforts be doing so well when so many options exist? Simple: people know that those IECA educational consultants they are communicating with, asking questions of, responding to, and more, are professionals of great competence, and are dedicated to students, the role of choosing the right educational environment, and more. IECA members are not just like-minded, but serious professionals recognized both within and beyond our organization.

In other words, with so many social media or affiliation opportunities, people are being drawn to the sites and the organizations that set high standards and where members fully understand their profession and the value of sharing. And this is exactly what the research being conducted shows. Why do people put up with our higher than other association dues; with membership applications that require a demonstration of knowledge, experience, and training; with strict ethics requirements? It is because they know membership in such an organization MEANS something.

The future of associations—associations like IECA—is exciting, and limitless, as long as we maintain our commitment to excellence, professionalism, education, high standards, and above all, putting families’ and students’ needs first.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Recently I came across a comment on a blog where someone expressed an implied criticism of IECA. The criticism was that the Independent Educational Consultants Association does not focus its energies exclusively in school selection, application, and admission. The criticism actually kept me up all night—quite a feat for those who know me—yet I tossed and turned. But not for the reasons you may think. I’m certainly not thin-skinned, and so I can take any criticism. In this case I was restless because I was confounded. How could someone have written those words believing them to be critical, when to me they express the very difference that makes IECA and its members so uniquely qualified? Critical? No—to me it was the ultimate praise.

How can one even imagine preparing to send students away for school, but not understand issues like adolescent depression or anxiety? Should we apologize for bringing in the top experts in the country to present about the latest developments in research on brain theory, gender differences, attachment, and the impact of adoption? We know full well how such things impact the ability to succeed both in class and with peers. Should we not support our members who wish to do career exploration or employ the dynamic information gained in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator?

Some of the criticism, I suspect, was related to some of the topics at IECA conferences. Does the person offering the critique believe that those assisting in college or school admission should confine their discussion to majors, Greek life, financial aid and ‘where you can get in?’ All that should be noted, but every single person working with adolescents, if they wish to be taken as a true professional, should gain some understanding of some growing trends of concern: Internet and gaming addictions (the numbers of kids who land in a dorm room and play World of Warcraft or other games 24 hours a day, skipping class, is scary!), abuse of prescription drugs (a growing campus trend), campus bullying (using social media), eating and body-perception disorders, and so much more.

It seems that some think college admission can be accomplished using a chart: standardized test scores in column A, GPA in column B, activities in column C, and voila…”Here’s your list of schools, Sally!” Let’s remember that adolescents are not a simple commodity where we plug in the proper numbers and out pops the result. IECA’s strength comes from our realization—make that commitment—to seeing every child as an individual, with abilities and weaknesses, emotional strengths and scars, unique talents, and needs. Yes, this is indeed what makes IECA unique, and more importantly, what makes our members uniquely qualified to really serve the best interests, the true needs of every child.

That anyone can think otherwise, will keep me up at nights.

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by Mark Sklarow, IECA Executive Director

The Executive Committee of the IECA Board of Directors met Monday and Tuesday this week to examine current issues and ensure the Association’s future is on track, incorporating member feedback and planning for upcoming meetings of the Board of Directors.  While the officers examined numerous topics (e.g., conference changes, affinity groups, ethics, and relationships with affiliated organizations) most discussions led back to three central themes of communication, education, and IECA’s role as the preeminent organization for educational advising in the world.

Given that IECA is the leading professional association for educational consultants, the Executive Committee emphasized a three-year goal of membership growth to include the vast majority of all competent, ethical, knowledgeable, qualified consultants.  The effort revolves around the simple belief that just as the nation’s leading doctors join the AMA and leading psychologists join the APA, the nation’s (and world’s) leading educational consultants should be members of IECA. The result, while ensuring some growth, will guarantee greater awareness by the general public, general acceptance by admission directors, and partnership with leading educational organizations.

Such an effort will challenge IECA to act decisively to ensure effective communication.  This includes communication among our members, communication between the association’s national staff and the membership, as well as communication between our members and the admission and broader educational communities.

IECA has made a commitment to maintain publishing: brochures, fliers, directory and Insights.  While other groups have abandoned ‘hard copies’ we believe such printed material gives us an unequaled presence.  At the same time, our web site is updated regularly and will continue to be renewed. When families search for an educational consultant, we are committed to ensuring that IECA emerges at the top of that search.   Our social media and new media efforts are well ahead of most other associations with thousands now connecting to us through Facebook, LinkedIn, our blog, the TalkList and other efforts.  Increasingly these new communication tools will connect members with each other and with the general public.

The growing importance of our committees, of affinity groups (like the two newest groups for consultants with small children and consultants in dual roles and the coming group for BestNotes users), and newly developing regional groups are all part of the emphasis on communication.  They are also an important part of education, the last piece of our trifecta.

Members in recent surveys have indicated a desire for more educational opportunities.  Having just completed our Summer Training Institute, I know that no organization anywhere does a better job of educating consultants.  Our training is unequaled.  Now we will be looking at new training opportunities, for those just starting out, as well as for those in the process of growing their practices or adding new specialties, as well as for those more senior and experienced members looking to keep up with new technologies and changes in the world of admissions and adolescents.  This is also likely to include a new, online ethics course that all new members of IECA will need to complete during the months following their acceptance to the organization.

A central aspect of IECA’s role is our deep belief that the profession–and students–are best served by our members’ commitment to sharing: through mentoring, presenting at conferences, teaching at the STI and other workshops and seminars.  Sharing is central to our mission.

The fundamental message of the Executive Committee’s work is that IECA intends to be the leader in the field by providing exceptional service and educational opportunities to our members, and by expanding awareness of the profession and recognition of IECA from coast-to-coast and increasingly, around the world.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Yesterday afternoon the IECA Summer Training Institute turned the process around as the 94 attendees got to hear what life is like for those involved in recruiting and evaluating potential clients in a session titled, Inside the Admissions Office.

In the college session, three leaders came to share insights: Erin Finn, vice president for admissions at Drexel University, who explained the changing nature of admissions as offices look for ways to balance the entering class while filling campus needs. She noted the possibility of hearing from a band director that the harpist is graduating and admissions should be on the lookout for a new harpist. Conversely, she noted the school is not going to admit six amazing, accomplished harpists when space exists for only one. Likewise, she noted the role of admissions is to ensure that each department has interested students among those incoming.

Richard Floyd, director of admission at Ursinus College (one of the Colleges That Change Lives), returned for the second year as a panelist. Richard noted the outsize role U.S. News & World Report plays in their annual rankings in influencing students and parents. He shared that colleges, while being dismayed at the criteria used, often actively promote themselves to colleagues in an effort to raise their profile. Erin, from Drexel, added that colleges crow about better standings (Drexel named one of five colleges to watch) and downplay when the rankings or attention invariably declines.

Suzi Nam, director of admission at Swarthmore College also participated. She noted the importance of a student’s application demonstrating a match to the university’s mission. A school like Swarthmore, where they seek students that value the pursuit of knowledge above all else (even grades), admission reps should be able to tell in the application why a candidate suits that mission.

All three endorsed the role of educational consultants in general, with one noting that good advising is as necessary to the college search and application process as a realtor is to the home search/sale. The group also noted the admiration they have for IECA members as being particularly professional, ethical, and knowledgeable. Each indicated their willingness to take calls and in queries from IECA members, when the goal is gathering general information and not advocating on behalf of an applicant.

It was a great session and was duplicated for school and therapeutic specialists separately. More details will follow in a future blog.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

We have learned that The Princeton Review will announce, sometime today, new seminars available in person or online covering issues like writing a great college essay, building a college list, how the college application works, and other process-oriented topics. Such a development underscores two truths: there is increased anxiety and confusion over admissions; and most students don’t have many resources—especially in public schools where counselors are overburdened with unfair case loads, increasingly complex problems, and little support for professional development. This deprives students and families of the information they need to both navigate the process and fully explore their choices.

To be clear: we welcome any innovations that bring good, accurate, vital information to students. All should welcome that TPR has found a way to deliver information at a relatively low cost, using new technologies. Students need—and deserve—complete knowledge.

Of course much of this process information—standardized test dates, how to visit college campuses, what makes for a good essay—has been available for many years: scores of books are available at Borders Books on these subjects, Web sites number in the thousands, most college admission offices share that same information, and for many students their school counseling office can provide these details. If TPR has found a way to reach a new population, great! I hope they find a way to make such information available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and much more, as many first generation college families need assistance as well.

The important caveat here is that the college search and application process involves TWO components: the process details as described above, and the knowledge/match piece that is so critical. It is here where we talk about understanding students’ personalities, learning styles, social, educational, and community needs, and knowing enough about hundreds of colleges to assist in identifying appropriate matches. While the basic process information may be able to be disseminated in a group, the knowledge/match requires one-on-one consultation, sufficient time to really understand a student, exploration of essay topics, and evaluative tours of campus after campus. This piece can only be done through exceptional counseling. It is in this area that educational consultants shine.

With limited caseloads, extensive training, educational and professional development, continual travel to visit campuses, and the highest ethical standards, IECA member educational consultants provide families and students with amazing potential to not only understand the process, but also take ownership of it. To not only know what makes for a good essay in general terms, but to spend time with an expert to explore their lives, their interests, their values to discover an essay topic that gives real insight to who they are. And take the time, directed by a consultant, to explore the wide range of educational opportunities to find those that offer the best match. The goal of IECA consultants: a student who thrives, grows socially and academically, and achieves success at college.

As one of the nation’s leading educational associations, we welcome the use of new technologies and new efforts to reach students and families with critical information. IECA and its members will keep our commitment to the highest standards of service both to those who can afford independent consulting services and the thousands served through pro bono efforts, and the IECA Foundation’s initiatives.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

(Part 2 of 2)

Yesterday we published the results of  the specific suggestions we received for making the conference more valuable to IECA members, schools, and programs that work in the area of emotional and behavioral needs. With the results we noted the numerous changes we are making to the conference schedule to ensure more interaction between consultants and programs and between programs and traditional schools. As part of the same survey we concluded with an open-ended request for comments, thoughts, or questions about the conference schedule. We read hundreds of such remarks. Eleven suggestions/comments seemed to come up often enough that we wanted to respond. In doing so we note that we have provided honest, direct answers which do not necessarily satisfy everyone’s concerns.

1.  Can you require IECA Members to attend the Swap? We do encourage them strongly and perhaps we need to do more. But remember, not all consultants do special needs, so some do not attend the Swap, just as some consultants who do ONLY special needs do not attend the School & College Fair.

2. Can you schedule more interactive and point/counterpoint sessions like we had in Charlotte? We agree, please suggest topics!

3.  Can’t we have more conferences in the West? We do need to pay more attention to conference cities. We have Dallas, TX scheduled for 2011 and San Diego, CA scheduled for 2013.

4. Consider holding one conference a year just for schools and colleges, and the other just for special needs. We’ll have the Strategic Planning task Force look into this idea. One fear is that one of those may get many more participants leaving programs or schools very frustrated. It also hurts the effort requested above for more interaction between therapeutic programs and traditional schools. Finally it also raises concerns that we create a fissure between specialties among consultants.

5. Can you offer CEUs for MSWs and psychologists? We’ll look into doing that. If we can, we will.

6.  Why do special needs programs pay for a full week, but only get to attend for a few days? Why don’t we get to attend as much as schools or colleges? This is a misperception that I would like to correct once and for all. Traditional schools, colleges, therapeutic schools and programs all pay the same fee, and all have the same amount of time at the conference. Schools and colleges attend from Wednesday mid-day to Thursday afternoon. Therapeutic programs have attended from Friday morning to Saturday mid-day. When therapeutic programs requested more interaction with traditional school representatives a few years ago, we began allowing school reps to visit the Therapeutic Information Swap one hour prior to its opening. (And based on the change we announced on  this blog yesterday, you will now be attending 2+ days.)  Only consultants attend for the entire 3-1/2 days of the conference. IECA member consultants pay less, as their dues cover a portion of the conference. Everyone is treated as fairly as possible. The conference fee is comparable to other conferences, and unlike some others we do not charge extra for tables at the Swap or Fair.

7.  Have you considered holding one national and several regional conferences each year? The Strategic Planning Task Force, a regional group task force, and the Board of Directors are looking into these issues right now.

8.  Why is the Therapeutic program always at the end? Why not alternate so that every other conference the Therapeutic days are at the beginning? What looks like an obvious possibility is simply not feasible. More than 100 educational consultants participate in college campus visits prior to the start of the conference. Typically this involves 7 – 8 colleges over three days. Others visit 3 – 5 boarding schools. Members consider these visits a central part of their conference experience. When therapeutic schools and programs exist near the conference city, they are typically spread out, allowing one or two such visits. In any case these visits must occur on a weekday. If the college part of the program was set later in the week, Friday and Saturday, it could then take consultants out of the conference hotel on the days that therapeutic programs are available. Remember that 80% of those doing therapeutic placements also do schools or colleges, so the chances of consultants opting for tours over the Swap are unacceptable. A secondary reason is that we commit to certain hotel room pick up (booked rooms per night) years in advance, and we are required to pay for unused rooms. When attendees are unsure of the schedule (due to constant shifts) they tend to book the whole week, only to cancel rooms at the last minute. Such last minute cancellations, which marked our earlier events prior to the format change in 2007, run into hundreds of rooms with penalty fees over $100,000. So while we can’t ‘flip’ the days, we try to do everything we can to meet all attendees needs.

9.  Can you increase the participation of educational consultants? The numbers seemed low in Toronto. It didn’t just seem that way as the number of attending consultants was low. Some attendees LOVED it and said it made for quality discussions. Others felt frustrated. Don’t worry though: no more Canada meetings for a long time. As someone else pointed out in their survey: remember that some of what we all are seeing is the impact of the terrible economy, not necessarily ongoing concerns.

10.  Can we have more clinical sessions? This ties in with a concern we heard from consultants: Programs used to send a therapist or programming person. Today, most send marketing and admission reps. Consultants would prefer hearing from those who work directly with students. The more such attendees we have, the more clinically-based presentations we can offer. (And the happier consultants will be!)

11. Finally: Can’t you do something to allow for more networking during the conference? Conference Central has proved to be a great addition. In Ohio, thanks to your suggestions, we will be expanding the time for breaks to promote more networking. We think you’ll notice the difference.

Colleagues, I hope the information shared over the last two days demonstrates our commitment to keeping a dialogue going toward making all of your interactions with IECA and our members positive, valuable, and cost effective. As you can see, wherever possible we effected change immediately with most suggestions being implemented this fall in November. We’ll be in touch soon after to see whether you noticed the differences.

The 2010 IECA Fall Conference is in Cincinnati, November 4 – 6. Registration will open the first week of August and all information will be available on our Web site. We hope to see you there!

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

(Part 1 of 2)

Last month we invited special needs consultants, as well as representatives of wilderness and emotional growth schools (more than 1,000 professionals), to provide us with feedback on a number of ideas about ways to make the IECA conferences more meaningful and valuable to those working with troubled teens. Hundreds responded and we are grateful for the honest feedback. We promised to reply, and here are the survey results along with an explanation of what we will do, might do in the future, and won’t do!

Tomorrow we will post the 11 most common questions or suggestions that we received in the open feedback section of the questionnaire.

[1] One suggestion was to extend the Traditional Boarding School and College Fair by an hour on Thursday morning, and allow special needs program representatives to join consultants for the final hour to allow for school-to-program networking. Of those expressing an opinion on this issue, 85% of respondents were in favor.

Our Response: We have extended the Fair by 45 minutes (the most we could find) in Ohio this fall, and all special needs program representatives will be invited in for the final hour.

[2] The next proposal was to change to an expo format: programs would each get a 10×10 booth to staff for three full days with consultants choosing when they wish to go to the expo hall instead of educational programming. Of those responding, 28% were in favor.

Our Response: We have tabled this proposal and will not move toward a large exposition hall.

[3] We asked you to consider a change that would ensure a period of overlap when all conference attendees—schools, colleges, special needs programs, and consultants—would all be in attendance at the same time. Of those giving us an opinion on this topic 93% were in favor.

Our Response: Much of the Ohio program was already created, but we were able to rework it. After the final hour of Thursday morning’s School & College Fair there will be breakouts and a lunch with a wonderful speaker, for all attendees. There will also be opportunities while everyone is in attendance for networking in Conference Central.

[4] We asked how you felt about the desire of IECA members to have some educational sessions just for consultants, allowing them opportunities for free discussion on topics of particular interest to them. Of those responding 86% (and more than 95% of IECA members) were in favor.

Our Response: We will implement this change. This will mean more breakout times for special needs representatives, but that one or two at each time period will be designated for educational consultants only.

[5] We asked about bringing back the Saturday morning “Program Showcases” (short presentations by programs) from time to time. Of those with an opinion, 72% were in favor.

Our Response: We will hold two showcases on Saturday morning in Ohio, allowing up to 30 programs to offer brief presentations. There will be no cost to programs to be included, although there will be limited number of spots available.

[6] We asked about the proposal we’ve heard from some to eliminate the Information Swap completely and let networking occur more naturally. Just 23% were in favor of this option.

Our response: We won’t go there!

[7] We asked about the Master Class that has been featured with a nationally known expert offering an intense three-hour session. The responses:

24% wanted to keep them as they are
21% wanted to keep them, but shorten them a bit
23% wanted to eliminate them
12% wanted us to switch to something more interactive
20% wanted to eliminate all Saturday programming

Our Response: Clearly opinion is all over the place, although most IECA members wanted to keep the Master Class concept either in its present form or shorter. In Ohio we have arranged for one of the nation’s top experts on bipolar disorders. The session will be two hours (rather than three), in part to ensure time for the Program Showcases.

[8] We asked about shifting to one conference a year rather than two. Of those with an opinion, 56% were in favor.

Our Response: This question impacts more than just the therapeutic community, and so we need the opinion not just of the Special Needs schools and consultants but the college, traditional boarding schools, vendors, gap year, consultants, etc. All results will go to the Board, as this represents a policy decision. The Board will see your opinion.

Bottom line, we are working actively to incorporate as many ideas as we can, within the structure of existing contracts. We appreciate all those who responded and offered their opinion. Tomorrow we’ll respond to the questions that came up most: frequency, location, daily schedule of conferences, and much more.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

While enrollment in traditional four-year colleges has edged up slowly in recent years, the numbers attending for-profit, post-secondary trade and technical schools has soared. In the last 10 years, enrollment in such ‘career colleges’ has increased by more than 200% with nearly 2 million students currently attending. Culinary, computer, forensics, and other programs have become especially popular as the economy soured and twenty-somethings looked to gain marketable skills.

With such growth comes greater scrutiny and the federal government is looking into allegations that some of the growth has been fueled by false or deceptive promotion, and recruitment strategies that skirt the law and burden students with high debt.

The proposed legislation, drafted by the Department of Education would require trade and technical schools and other for-profit colleges to fully disclose graduation and job placement rates. Anyone watching daytime television knows full well that many of these schools advertise heavily (the perfect time to reach the unemployed), promoting their schools as the path to a great career. Another part of the legislation being debated examines whether recruiters to for-profit schools target those unable to afford classes and burden students with unrealistic debt.

Recruitment to career colleges is examined in another section of the proposal. In many schools, salaries of recruiters are tied closely to incentives for success in enrolling students. While federal law prohibits direct fees based on per capita recruitment, many such vocational and for-profit schools skirt the law by providing bonuses for success without tying the fees paid to specific numbers of students registering. The proposal would tighten these rules, eliminating such incentives.

About a year ago I met with Harris Miller, president of the Career College Association, a group representing some 1,500 for-profit schools. It was clear in this meeting that post-secondary trade and technical schools provide a valuable alternative to traditional college settings. In many cases such schools have the latest equipment and turn out graduates fully prepared to enter the workforce in a chosen field. The growing numbers suggest the need for educational consultants to be aware of career colleges and know the strengths and weaknesses of those in their community. However, for-profit schools must ensure that their recruitment policies are ethical, honest, and fair to prospective students, in order to eliminate any concerns that they are purely in the business of generating income by making wildly impossible promises and rewarding recruiters to bring in students at all costs.

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by Jane Klemmer, IECA Associate Member (New York)

I’m still riding an incredible high, no pun intended. Two days ago I returned from a week in southern California, where I cycled and toured colleges with 16 other college counselors and consultants. To say that this was one of my most memorable college tours sounds almost trite, especially coming from an educational consultant who has been in practice barely three years. Nevertheless, I am certain that the special memories from this unusual college tour will stay with me for many years to come.

Bill Dingledine (SC) and Jane Klemmer (NY)

In one week, five actual days of cycling, we covered roughly 180 miles and visited 13 colleges, pedaling from school to school and carrying our own gear. Starting at the University of Redlands and working our way west to Los Angeles, we spent most of our nights in dorms and came to know well the challenges of non-fitted sheets on plastic covered mattresses. This is about as “roughing it” as it gets in the world of college counseling, but we chalked it up to just another part of the experience. The weather was also far colder than I had anticipated (something I should probably keep to myself, given what colleagues experienced last week on the east coast). I ended up buying a LaVerne sweatshirt, which I will wear proudly, and a windbreaker at one of the cycle shops along the way so that I could brave the brisk and cloudy mornings that we were told was very unusual. This was “June Gloom” arriving in California a month late, a refrain repeated at every stop along our way.

Unforeseen cool weather and a few unexpected mishaps only added to the special nature of our adventure. There are, of course, the obvious reasons why this trip was such a positive and unforgettable experience for all of us involved: the special camaraderie among us, informative college visits with some over-the-top hospitality, and excellent cycling. However, two of the benefits of a trip such as this are probably even more meaningful and perhaps less obvious.

My IECA colleague, Bill Dingledine (who has continued on to cycle and tour colleges for another week), and I were the only independent consultants in this group, yet never once did I feel I needed to explain what I did, nor feel like we were somehow different from the rest of the group. I truly believe that experiences like these help break down what are sometimes barriers between independent consultants and school counselors. I feel confident that many of my cycling colleagues now have a better understanding of what we do and see the real value that we add to the college search and application process. We are another contributing member of the team.

But let me share with you what I truly believe to be the best benefit of all: attaining a goal that I set for myself, having worked and trained diligently to achieve it!  We as independent consultants challenge students to establish goals and strive to reach them. Why should we, regardless of our age and experience, be any different? Having goals and dreams is what keeps us fresh, too. The best way to instill motivation in students is to lead by example. Showing them the benefits of putting in the effort and going the extra mile, figuratively and sometimes, literally, can be as important in the long run as the suggestions we offer for an essay.

We spent our last night on the gorgeous campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, which sits high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The next morning we cycled back down the Pacific Coast Highway, with the ocean a constant to our right. A few of our colleagues decided to test the frigid waters at Venice Beach before we did a quick cycle through Loyola Marymount University, and shared our last lunch together at the In and Out Burger, a ubiquitous California chain that became a true ‘destination” for us after some in our group talked it up for a week. No one was disappointed, and we agreed that it was a fitting farewell luncheon before we returned rental bikes and said our good-byes.

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