Posts by Cyndi Bohlin
Celebrating the New IECAonline.com
After months of development and testing, IECA is excited to share our newly redesigned website, IECAonline.com. The website features a new, modern design, user-friendly navigation, and informative content to better serve the association’s members, admission representative and vendor partners, and parents and students seeking guidance from our IECA member consultants. Key features of the website…
Read MoreWhy I Belong: Trisha Uhler
Before becoming an independent educational consultant (IEC), I was a counselor at a large, highly competitive high school where many families hire IECs (something my fellow counselors and I supported), so I was familiar with the influence IECs have on the college application process. Although I was content in my role as a high school…
Read MoreIECA Urges Action to Ensure the Safety of Jewish Students & Faculty on College Campuses
This letter from IECA CEO Mark Sklarow and Board President Belinda Wilkerson has been sent to Dr. Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Education; James Kvaal, Under Secretary of Education; Hon. Bernie Sanders, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; and Hon. Virginia Foxx, Chair of the House Committee on Education and the…
Read MoreWhy I Belong: Ethan Currie
It was the middle of winter, 2022, and I had just made the transition from working in admissions at a Big 10 university to working at a private college counseling firm, Galin Education. I was excited and a bit nervous—I was confident in what I knew about my Big 10 school, but I also knew…
Read MoreThe NCAA & Intellectual Property: The State of Play on NIL Reform
What is NIL, and how did we get here? Defining NIL NIL (Name/Image/Likeness) is shorthand for a student-athlete’s intellectual property rights (their name, image, and likeness). A Brief History of How We Got Here It is important to put the current conversation about NIL reform in context. The NCAA was founded after a White House meeting in which Teddy…
Read MoreIECA Returns to Capitol Hill for Our Second Annual Advocacy Day
On March 4-5, 2024, 15 IECA members descended on Capitol Hill for the second annual IECA Advocacy Day. We held 33 meetings with elected officials and their legislative aides from the US House of Representatives and Senate, introducing (or re-introducing) IECA to offices representing California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,…
Read MoreWhy I Belong: Karen Handler Ryan
Summer 2020: I spent the day sitting on the floor assembling my new folding desk. Even though I was left with three extra screws at the end of the process (and a genuine concern about whether the desk would fall apart the minute I put something on top of it), I had taken the first…
Read MoreIECA Urges Colleges to Adjust Deadlines Due to FAFSA Delays
The US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office released an update this week announcing that the earliest the Department will begin transmitting FAFSA applicant information to schools and state agencies is the first half of March. We are deeply concerned by the impact this further delay will have on students and families who are…
Read MoreIECA to Add Certified Educational Planner Credential to Its Portfolio
As part of its commitment to promote the highest quality independent educational consulting for students and families, IECA has announced that it will integrate the American Institute of Certified Educational Planners, the nation’s leading certifying body which awards the respected Certified Educational Planner designation, into IECA’s suite of offerings. Founded in 1976 and now 2,800…
Read MoreWhy I Belong: Eleanora Ferrante
How do I love thee, IECA? Let me count the ways. I love thee community. The sharing and encouragement given by all. I love thee professional development. From webinars to conferences. The knowledge I gain is invaluable. I love thee peer groups. My twice-a-month session has led to friendships that extend beyond our work. I…
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