college applications Archives – Page 2 of 2

by Mark H. Sklarow, Chief Executive Officer, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Let’s assume you were an admission director for a day. One spot remains for the class of 2019 with two folders in front of you. Candidate A is a brilliant young woman, with a 4.0 GPA which she achieved without breaking a sweat. In fact, she cruised through high school, never once experiencing a downturn personally or academically. Candidate B achieved a GPA a bit lower, let’s say a 3.6. But she did it faced with challenges: personal, familial, and academic. She wasn’t scared off by tough classes and succeeded with grit, determination, and a healthy dose of persistence.

College Admissions

Facing Deferment

February 28, 2018September 26, 2018 IECA Leave a comment

By Mark Cruver, MEd, IECA (GA)

Deferment can be equally as troublesome for independent educational consultants (IECs) as it is for students. After spending countless hours and weeks advising, coaching, encouraging, and motivating students to apply to first-choice colleges and universities, we all wait with anticipation for the news. When the moment arrives for some, the rattled voice on the other end of the phone communicates all we need to know. And then, much like our students, we wonder what went wrong.

college consulting/Pro bono

Possibilities Abound: The Power of Collaboration

May 2, 2017November 4, 2017 IECA Leave a comment

By Diana Cohen, Applerouth Tutoring Services

When the team at Applerouth Tutoring Services first read in Insights that IECA was providing pro bono college counseling to students through The Possibility Project, we were immediately inspired to also help support teens in the New York City after-school program. (See “Possibilities Abound,” Insights, April/May 2015). We approached volunteers Marilyn Emerson, a former IECA president, and Ann Rossbach, the current IECA president, and offered to supplement IECA’s college mentoring with a pro bono SAT class. Today, headed into our third year of collaboration, we’re more excited than ever about the possibilities that abound when organizations work together for student success. We hope the story of our collaboration will provide guidance and inspiration for others in their efforts.