Why Work With an Independent Educational Consultant

Seniors are in the home stretch, but this is a time that many families of high school sophomores and juniors are taking a harder look at the college admissions process.  As you begin, you probably have questions - even if you’ve done this before for another child! Finding the right college (which means a school with a good financial, social, and academic fit) can be a challenging and overwhelming process.  College admissions changes rapidly and often with so much to keep up with. Independent educational consultants work to be on top of trends and news every day so that they can provide the best information and advice to their clients. Below is more information about independent educational consultants and why they’re helpful to the college admissions process.

They Travel

IECs travel regularly to check out college campuses for their students.  The more schools they visit, the more they can help students who are looking for their right fit.  There is something about being on campus that helps us understand the school and see it in a different way from just the website!

They’re Experts

Every IEC is different, but in general, consultants can help you with smart choices about high school curriculum, standardized testing preparation, finding best-fit colleges and universities to apply to, identifying applicant strengths at various schools, applications and essays, major and career exploration, financial aid, and more.  The application and admissions process continues to become more complex each year, and IECs can be great resources at helping students and families through the process. Having an expert by your side to strategize and translate the various parts of the process is advantageous!

Personalized Attention

Sometimes during this process, you just have questions that need answers and you need someone to understand who you, your student, and your family are.  School counselors work incredibly hard to serve a large amount of students and are often tasked with responsibilities other than college counseling, such as high school class scheduling and working through students’ emotional issues.  Depending on your state, school counselors often have caseloads of hundreds of students, making it difficult to provide individualized attention. The benefit of a consultant is that they usually work in tandem with your school counselor to provide the best approach!

Availability

A huge benefit of hiring an IEC is their availability in order to offer you individualized attention.  Unlimited hours (within reason) allow the consultant to work at times that work for the family, as well as during traditional work hours to communicate with school counselors.  Have a question that pops into your head about the ACT registration deadline? Text, call, or email your IEC! Each consultant is different and has different hours, but in general, a benefit of an IEC is their flexibility and availability to work with your schedule and allow you to get the answers you need when you have questions.

Alleviate Stress

There is often quite a bit of anxiety and overwhelm with the college admissions process.  IECs understand their role and help to reduce that anxiety by keeping the family on schedule and answering questions as they arise.  They continue to reassure students and families that they will find the right fit, regardless of decisions, and allow the student to lead.  Working with an IEC provides peace of mind, allowing the parents to step back a bit and the IEC to keep the student on track.

Cost-Effectiveness

Hiring an independent educational consultant costs money, but it might be the best investment you can make during this process!  In addition to IECs helping students to make the right decision (financially - and also avoiding transferring later), they can help save money by helping you apply to the right school (saving application fees!) and locating and applying to scholarships.

Essays

On top of all the other parts of the college application… there are essays.  IECs can help students with personal statements and other college essay prompts because they understand what colleges are looking for.  College essays are a bit different than other writing prompts, and there are some key aspects to application essays that are vital to understanding.  Consultants regularly do their research, stay up to date with trends, and communicate with other consultants to discern what specific schools want in their writing prompt responses.

They’re Unbiased and Ethical

IECs who are members of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) are held to the highest ethical and moral standards.  IECA members truly have the student’s best interest at heart and are committed to a smooth and unbiased process. While it’s important to find the right IEC for your family, you can rest easy with a member of IECA knowing that they agree to avoiding any situation or action that misrepresents a student’s history or impeding a college’s opportunity to assess the student.  It is necessary to know that IECs cannot, and should not, guarantee admission to any school, write the student’s essays or applications for them, or use connections to change a student’s outcome at any school.

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Families hire independent educational consultants for various reasons, but IECs are there to help.  Whether it’s lack of knowledge or time, ease of the process, help with navigating information overwhelm, understanding a changing family dynamic, or just needing a hand a hold, this is what consultants do.  We’re here to make your lives easier.