By  Krissy Naspo, MA, IECA (CT); Allison Dillon Kimmerle, MA, IECA Associate (MA); and the Schools Committee

IECs and school admissions officers must have a two-way relationship and trust and rely on one another to be successful and gain the greatest benefits. But when they work together, the students and families benefit the most. The following insights from school-focused IECs and school admission directors reveal that honesty, transparency, and individual relationships are the hallmarks that help all students, families, and schools work well together.

Schools: Why is the independent educational consultant (IEC) relationship important to you?

Peter Curran, Assistant Head of School, Blair Academy: As IECs better understand our school culture and curriculum, they can recommend families to us that would be a great fit. Without their assistance, some of those families might never find our schools.

Meghan Grover, Director of Admission, Millbrook School: IECs are essential in bringing great families to our campus, and their insights about students are incredibly helpful when we make decisions about candidates.

Liz Schmitt, Chief Enrollment and Student Affairs Officer, Miss Porter’s School: IECs are on the leading edge of communicating current messages about schools, their programming, and their outcomes. They also play an increasingly important role in ongoing parent relationships and student retention once a child enrolls.

Amy Graham, Director of Enrollment Management, Pomfret School: I know that an IEC has spent a considerable amount of time assessing the needs of their clients. When they recommend that a client look at my school, I know there is a high likelihood that he or she could be successful here.

JP Burlington, Director of Admission, Trinity-Pawling School: Once a IEC has had a good experience and establishes a relationship with us, they are likely to continue to refer clients to my school. An ongoing dialogue with IECs is integral to the enrollment success of our office.

IECs: Why is a relationship with schools important?

Lucy Pritzker (NJ): Understanding the mission of a school as it grows and changes helps me to refer the right students. My relationship with a school helps me to stay current.

Elizabeth Hall (MA): Being an IECA member lends credibility to my work with schools and creates a much higher level of trust. The schools that I have worked with repeatedly trust my referrals and therefore my instinct.

Krissy Naspo (CT): When we have great relationships with the admissions officers at schools, we learn more about the schools, we help our students find the right fit, and we feel confident that our clients will have a good chance of being successful and happy in their new school.

Christine Southgate (CA): I rely on admissions professionals to be open and direct with me about my client families and individual students. At the heart of that direct communication is my commitment to absolute transparency from my clients and with school admissions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of each of my student applicants.

Sarah Contomichalos (ME): A school relationship is important to me because I can verify any “urban rumors” about a particular school to keep the conversations firmly based on fact, not fiction.

Allison Dillon Kimmerle, Associate member (MA): I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. A brief conversation with admissions may be enough to determine that the visit is worthwhile. If I don’t know a school well, however, I do want to fly my student’s profile by admissions before I give the family the OK to schedule a visit. I know that if a school encourages a visit, it is never a guarantee of admission.

Schools and IECs: What does the ideal relationship look like?

Sarah: Receiving honest feedback about my client and which part of the application is weighed most heavily is really helpful.

Elizabeth: Maintaining transparency and open communication throughout the admissions season is imperative and encouraging the schools to do the same is when the relationship with schools is at an ideal point.

Christine: The ideal relationship is trust based and rooted in the knowledge that we are both trying to do the best for the student and family.

JP, Trinity-Pawling: We take the time to visit IECs and learn about the clients they work with, and we appreciate when they visit our campus and spend time getting to know our programs and community. It’s a mutual effort to place appropriate students at our school.

Amy, Pomfret: Ideally the relationship is built on trust, transparency, and feedback. If a red flag comes up during the admission or enrollment process, I feel safe connecting with the IEC. In turn, I hope that they will share information about their client’s experiences at my school.

Meghan, Millbrook: We are unified by the same goal: to help the student find the school in which they will thrive. We are honest and candid with each other, and we think long-term about each family and our relationship.

Liz, MPS: The ideal school and IEC relationship is a partnership that involves regular and timely communication and thoughtful decisions—at every juncture—that support the needs of the student.

Schools: What do you currently struggle with in your relationship with IECs?

Liz, MPS: Attracting IECs to campus and addressing any outdated notions about our institutions can be a challenge. But it is crucial to our success. Also, as families increasingly narrow their search to schools closer to home, we need IECs help to break into new markets.

Amy, Pomfret: We struggle with finding the best way to communicate information. Do IECs want to receive materials electronically, such as e-blasts? Do they want office visits or invitations to campus? Also, what is an appropriate thank you: gear, a dinner invitation, or something else?

JP, Trinity-Pawling: We struggle with some IECs’ perceptions of who we are and what we have to offer students. Our school has undergone many changes and getting the word out and encouraging IECs to visit us will always be our goal and a challenge.

IECs: What do you struggle with in your relationships with schools?

Allison: Occasionally I have trouble with timely communication with a school. I know the admission folks are busy, but waiting for a response to an email or a voice mail—knowing that the family is also waiting for my feedback or response—is frustrating.

Christine: I currently have a challenge in my geographic area. When there is a new admissions director at a school in the San Francisco Bay area, I have to educate them about how I work with kids and families and that I am not trying to “package” kids for admissions.

Elizabeth: I struggle to stay current with application and essay requirements because almost all schools now require parents to log in and create profiles within their portals to access all that information. It is not feasible for me to create “fake” profiles within all the schools’ admissions portals, nor would I be inclined to do so. I feel that I’m at a disadvantage when I can’t access the current year’s application. I am also amazed at the number of schools that don’t respond to or acknowledge the materials I send regarding a student before the interview.

Krissy: I struggle with schools asking us to guarantee where a 14-year-old student is going to go and what they are going to decide on March 10 or April 15. All I know is what my families tell me. And although I guide them, sometimes they do a 180 and there is nothing I can do about that. I am as honest with a school as I can be. Kids and families don’t want to decide until they know what their options are.

Sarah: I have sometimes found admissions officers to be focused on selling the school rather than helping me learn what type of student will thrive there.

Lucy: I work with students who don’t always look like the right referral on paper, so sometimes I struggle with the school understanding that I wouldn’t want them to consider a student who isn’t a good fit. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. If I refer someone, it’s because I feel the student is a good candidate based on my understanding of the mission of the school and whom it can and cannot support. I am hopeful that admissions officers understand the depths of my diligence to ensure fit. It takes a few referrals to convey that, but I persist!

Schools: What is the value of a school tour to you?

Liz, MPS: School tours and programming for IECs allow schools to showcase their campuses, students, faculty, and distinct advantages and to dispel myths or outdated notions about their campus climates, programs, or student bodies. There is no better way to understand our communities and cultures than to visit campus.

Meghan, Millbrook: As a IEC you need to internalize the experience of each school to really know it and know whether it’s right for your student. School visits are of paramount importance to us!

Amy, Pomfret: I love having IECs on campus and I want to know what areas they need more information about. It gives me confidence that they are aware of what is happening “right now” on my campus and who our students are.

JP, T-P: On school tours, most IECs are visiting us for the first time or haven’t visited in several years. A tour gives admissions the opportunity to establish (or reestablish) relationships with those individuals.

Peter, Blair: The school search process encompasses both science and art: the science is the collection of quantifiable data (school size, academic offerings, boarding/day ratio, and so on.), while the art is the school’s essence and the feelings you experience as you walk around campus and look at the expressions on student and faculty faces.

IECs: What is the value of a school tour to you?

Allison: There is great value in seeing the kids in action and getting the school’s “vibe.” A campus visit when the school day is happening all around me allows me to do that. On a school tour, I appreciate student panels, especially when the adults step out of the room and allow the kids the freedom to say what they are feeling about their school, their transition into it, and their experiences. I have never seen such a situation turn into a gripe session, and it has always yielded valuable insight into the type of student who is happy and successful there and why they chose that school in the first place. And I really must get a look at a boy’s and a girl’s dorm room.

Elizabeth, MPS: The most beneficial tours to me are the ones where I have time alone with the admissions team to ask admissions-oriented questions. I especially like doing this after I have already toured, met with students, and had time with faculty. I also really value touring campus with a student tour guide rather than a member of the admissions team because that chance to speak candidly with students is so insightful.

Krissy: My sense of a school is not something I can develop through a website or written materials. It is a feeling I get from my observations and conversations when I am on campus. Sometimes, it is something I can’t really put into words.

Lucy: The opportunity to interact with students is the highlight of my tours and gives me the best sense of who the school serves. Watching faculty and students interact is an important way for me to measure right fit for my clients. Is this a school with a more formal teacher/student relationship? Or is it one where teachers are on a first name basis and play Frisbee with the students on the green. Just like my students, schools often look different in person than on paper.

Christine: My only challenge is that it is tough to get away from my office in the fall and many tours are organized during those months.

Sarah: I always look very carefully at the schedule to see how much time is allowed for lunch, clubs, etc. and like to visit the library and cafeteria.

Schools: what information, documents, or materials are initially important for you to receive from a IEC?

Meghan, Millbrook: Any impressions from the IEC and thoughts on why our school is a good fit are greatly appreciated. If the student has neuropsychological testing or any past behavioral or emotional issues, we like to get that information up front in the process too.

JP, T-P: It is also great to receive a transcript that includes current grades. SSAT, TOEFL, SAT or PSAT scores (whichever applies) are very helpful.

IECs: What materials are helpful for you to receive from a school?

Elizabeth: Increasingly, I prefer materials sent to me electronically. The other information that I find helpful is a copy of the weekly schedule as well as pictures of the campus that I can put into my database. I also like to have information about the financial viability of the school (such as endowment, admissions figures, building and grounds figures, etc.), although not all admissions folks have this or are willing to share it, which is disappointing.

Christine: I rely on the individual school websites and value when a school keeps their information up to date on sites such as TABS and Boarding School Review. Although I enjoy having printed school materials in my office, most students and families seem to prefer online information.

Sarah and Allison: I rely heavily on the website and do not use paper at all. If I need a course catalog, or an alumni magazine, or a student handbook, I give a call to admissions.

Final thoughts from schools and IECs:

All school representatives: Schools are happy to connect with IECs via email, phone calls, or even texts.

Peter, Blair: In the application process, IECs provide another voice to advocate and champion for the student.

Sarah: Be as clear about the student profile that does not fit your school as you are about the profile that does.

Lucy: Start your tour with a student profile and basic facts. That sets the stage for the rest of the visit.

Amy, Pomfret: IECA should set up a speed dating arrangement for schools and IECs during conferences!

Elizabeth: I wish we had a team of school and other specialty IECs who worked together at the beginning of the year to put together a master school tour list. This could be done in geographic regions with an IEC and an admission officer working together. Knowing all the school tours well ahead would be really helpful because I budget not just my time but also my financial resources for my travel and touring each year and I could plan more strategically. During the summer months, when we are all somewhat less busy, I wonder if schools would consider emailing an admissions update of new faculty and staff, school news that will impact the coming year, changes to their application, and the like. Too often we find out about things through clients, rather than on our own. Being ahead of the information is super helpful to our work.

Christine: I encourage schools to work with IECA-affiliated IECs over those who do not have strong standards for best practices and ethics. I have encountered representatives of educational consulting companies out here on the West Coast who literally hire local moms to use parking lot gossip as the source for learning about schools and programs. There is nothing that can replace school/IEC relationships and honest and authentic exchanges of information. The value of visiting campuses is indisputable. That is the cornerstone of our membership in IECA.

The Schools Committee contributors are Elizabeth Hall, Hall Educational Resources, [email protected]; Allison Dillon Kimmerle, Boarding School Advisor, [email protected]; Lucy Pritzker, Elm Street Placements, [email protected]; Christine Southgate, Next Step: School Selection, [email protected]; Sarah Contomichalos, Educational Advisory Services, [email protected].

Note: The Schools Committee extends a special thank you to the admissions officers who contributed.