What is an Independent Educational Consultant? - Guest Post
I am excited to present Crazyville's first guest blogger, Tom Jaworski. Tom is the driving force behind InandAroundTheQuad.com.
An Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) is a professional hired by families to provide expert college counseling assistance. IECs are qualified individuals who are independent of high schools and colleges and work on behalf of families in order find the best academic, social and financial 'fit' for students. An IEC is similar to a school counselor in that they assist students in the college process; yet in many ways they differ.
Today he will answer the question, why hire an independent education consult when looking at colleges.
An Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) is a professional hired by families to provide expert college counseling assistance. IECs are qualified individuals who are independent of high schools and colleges and work on behalf of families in order find the best academic, social and financial 'fit' for students. An IEC is similar to a school counselor in that they assist students in the college process; yet in many ways they differ.
1. Professional Organizations
One way to ensure all IEC's act in the best interest of your family is to hire one that is a member of a professional organization. There are two major professional associations for IECs: Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). Each organization maintain ethical guidelines and requiring specific membership qualifications: education, work experience and professional mastery. In addition, many IECs have work experience in a school setting, such as myself, and may belong to the National Association for College Admission Counselors (NACAC) and their state affiliates, such as the Illinois Association for College Admissions Counselors (IACAC).
One way to ensure all IEC's act in the best interest of your family is to hire one that is a member of a professional organization. There are two major professional associations for IECs: Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). Each organization maintain ethical guidelines and requiring specific membership qualifications: education, work experience and professional mastery. In addition, many IECs have work experience in a school setting, such as myself, and may belong to the National Association for College Admission Counselors (NACAC) and their state affiliates, such as the Illinois Association for College Admissions Counselors (IACAC).
2. Campus Visits
One criteria of achieving the highest level of membership in IECA is to have visited a minimum 50 college campuses. This is important because school visits allows an IEC to feel the campus atmosphere in and around the quad while interacting with students to understand campus life. This firsthand knowledge cannot be gained through brochures, websites, and facts/figures at college fairs. Did you know that according to IECA, an IEC spends on average 20% of their time traveling to 22 college campuses a year? I personally have visited 83 campuses the past 2 years alone.
3. Networking
Experiencing a campus, feeling the atmosphere and seeing the surrounding community is invaluable information in the college selection process. As an IEC, I have professional connections to many colleges and universities. These contacts are not to assist someone into the Harvard's backdoor (an ethical IEC NEVER guarantees admission to any school), but to understand the philosophy of a college’s Admissions Office. These relationships allow an IEC to understand the type of student a college is recruiting, a particular skill that a student should possess to be successful on that campus or particular requirements needed in order to be considered for a scholarship.
4. Individual Attention
The U.S. Department of Education states the student to counselor ratio is 467:1 while the American School Counselor's Association asserts in Illinois it is 667:1. How can a school counselor find the time to meet with each student to discuss their future goals, find the right college, assist in applications, brainstorm/edit essays, help with financial aid/scholarships and give them a 'high five' when they receive an acceptance letter? IECA states the typical consultant ratio is 30:1. This allows an IEC to be readily available for quick questions, to easily meet with stressed families or to assist completing 'just one more essay.' In the very competitive college application process having someone help guide the process is priceless.
Thomas Jaworski is the founder/lead consultant of Quest College Consulting and blogger at InandAroundtheQuad.com. He is an Independent College Counselor that has over ten years experience in the college admission process as an Certified Illinois Teacher (Type 09) and Counselor (Type 73). He is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and National College Admissions Counselor's Association (NACAC). For more information, you can visit his website at QuestCollegeConsulting.com or email him at tjaworski@QuestCollegeConsulting.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_QuestCC or on Facebook at Facebook.com/QuestCollegeConsulting.
One criteria of achieving the highest level of membership in IECA is to have visited a minimum 50 college campuses. This is important because school visits allows an IEC to feel the campus atmosphere in and around the quad while interacting with students to understand campus life. This firsthand knowledge cannot be gained through brochures, websites, and facts/figures at college fairs. Did you know that according to IECA, an IEC spends on average 20% of their time traveling to 22 college campuses a year? I personally have visited 83 campuses the past 2 years alone.
3. Networking
Experiencing a campus, feeling the atmosphere and seeing the surrounding community is invaluable information in the college selection process. As an IEC, I have professional connections to many colleges and universities. These contacts are not to assist someone into the Harvard's backdoor (an ethical IEC NEVER guarantees admission to any school), but to understand the philosophy of a college’s Admissions Office. These relationships allow an IEC to understand the type of student a college is recruiting, a particular skill that a student should possess to be successful on that campus or particular requirements needed in order to be considered for a scholarship.
4. Individual Attention
The U.S. Department of Education states the student to counselor ratio is 467:1 while the American School Counselor's Association asserts in Illinois it is 667:1. How can a school counselor find the time to meet with each student to discuss their future goals, find the right college, assist in applications, brainstorm/edit essays, help with financial aid/scholarships and give them a 'high five' when they receive an acceptance letter? IECA states the typical consultant ratio is 30:1. This allows an IEC to be readily available for quick questions, to easily meet with stressed families or to assist completing 'just one more essay.' In the very competitive college application process having someone help guide the process is priceless.
Thomas Jaworski is the founder/lead consultant of Quest College Consulting and blogger at InandAroundtheQuad.com. He is an Independent College Counselor that has over ten years experience in the college admission process as an Certified Illinois Teacher (Type 09) and Counselor (Type 73). He is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and National College Admissions Counselor's Association (NACAC). For more information, you can visit his website at QuestCollegeConsulting.com or email him at tjaworski@QuestCollegeConsulting.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_QuestCC or on Facebook at Facebook.com/QuestCollegeConsulting.
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