Are you a current Associate member of IECA now working toward becoming a Professional member, demonstrating your professional mastery and many years of experience? Read on for our tips.
Specialty & Subspecialty Designation(s)
Professional members self-select “specialty designations” indicating their area(s) of expertise. You must apply for at least one of the four IECA specialty designations (College, School, Therapeutic*, Graduate School*) when initially applying for Professional membership. You may add additional specialties at any time during the course of your membership thereafter. Professional members may also choose to apply for subspecialty designations (International, Learning Disabilities/Neurodiversity (LD/ND)*) at any time during their membership. The designation(s) for which you choose to apply will be listed in the online “Find an IEC” directories upon approval and are a great way to showcase the breadth of your expertise to potential clients and fellow IECA members. *A supplemental application form is required for these specialty/subspecialty designations.
Campus Visits
To be approved as an IECA Professional member, applicants must have completed a minimum number of evaluative campus visits (during the previous five years) within each specialty/subspecialty area: 50 visits for College; 25 visits for School (K-12 boarding/day schools); 50 visits for Therapeutic; and 25 visits for LD/ND. There is currently no minimum number of visits required for the Graduate School designation.
How do other IECs tackle this requirement? Here are some suggestions from fellow IECA members:
- Take advantage of virtual visits. (Virtual visits from the year 2020 onward are allowed at a 2:1 ratio for those provided by IECA and at a 3:1 ratio for those completed outside of IECA. Virtual visits can be submitted for up to 40 percent of the total visits required.)
- Attach visits to conferences.
- Reach out to other IECs to arrange group visits.
- Participate in organized bus tours, which also provide opportunities to get to know other IECs.
- Add time for visits onto your personal vacations.
- Each year, spend at least two weeks doing several tours per week.
Other Requirements
Other Professional membership requirements include:
- Three years of experience in educational placement counseling or admissions, including a minimum of one year of independent educational consulting.
- A master’s degree or higher in a relevant field OR a combination of training and experience that demonstrates a mastery of the profession.
- A minimum number of students advised (during the previous five years) on school, college, or program admissions. Either:
- 35 students advised in private practice; OR
- 50 students advised: a minimum of 10 students advised in private practice; the balance personally advised as a counselor or admissions professional.
- Three professional references. If you are an Associate member, IECA should already have one professional reference document on file. If you wish to use that for one of the three required professional references, you are welcome to list that person as a reference contact again. The IECA membership staff will simply afford that person the opportunity to write a quick update.
- Transcripts. With a few exceptions, the IECA office should already have your official transcripts, as filed with your Associate application.
- Dues. Professional membership dues are $600 annually. We’ll apply all of your unused Associate membership dues toward Professional membership when your application is complete and approved, so you won’t lose any of your membership dues and there is no need to wait for your current Associate membership year to lapse.
We welcome all qualified IEC applicants and want to make the process as smooth as possible! For more information about transitioning from an Associate to Professional member of IECA, contact IECA Membership Manager Caitlin Myers at [email protected].