Transcript

Intro

Chris: IEC stands for Independent Educational Consultant. These are folks that families might hire to work with their student to explore: Who am I? Where should I apply to college? And how do I even do that?

IECs come in lots of different styles, but the bottom line is they’re highly educated, deeply ethical, and student-centered.

Today we’re talking about when to hire an IEC, when not to hire an IEC, and we’re going to be talking to a special guest: Mark Sklarow. Mark is an experienced CEO of IECA. He’s been around this profession for decades and he has a lot to share.

Welcome to The College Talk Show.

It’s The College Talk Show.
Today’s theme: Independent Educational Consultants, with special guest Mark Sklarow.
And now, here’s your host—Chris Bell.

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What Is an IEC?

Chris: Some people hear “IEC” and think it’s someone who swoops in, saves the day, and gets a student admitted to an Ivy with some kind of magic sauce.

Nope. That’s not it.

IECs are partners in the process. Families work with IECs to help their student explore: Who am I? Where should I apply? This college fit piece is critical—finding colleges that are just right for the student and that the student is just right for the college. That fit piece is where it’s at.

Of course, IECs also help with the applications. But it’s not about misrepresenting the student. It’s not about lying or “pumping up” a résumé. It’s about putting your best foot forward, and that’s what IECs help students do.

Some IECs specialize in certain types of students or certain types of colleges—arts, neurodivergent students, athletes. Other IECs are generalists and work with all sorts of students. You have to find out who is best for you, and one way to do that is by talking to several people.

Hiring an IEC does not mean outsourcing parenting. It means bringing on support. It’s about clarity, confidence, and understanding the entire process.

IECs do help with the application process: deadlines, essay prompts, what different colleges are asking for. An IEC will not write your essay—but we might suggest fewer references to Fortnite.

When we come back, we have our special guest, Mark Sklarow, here. You’re going to love him. Stick around.

This episode is brought to you by Bell College Consulting. Visit bellcollegeconsulting.com to learn more.

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Guest Segment – Meet Mark

Chris: Welcome back, everyone. I am so excited for today’s guest. We have Mark Sklarow, who’s really been around for this profession as it has developed. He knows the IEC world, and we’re going to be able to hear from him directly as he’s seen this profession progress. He has a lot to say. I am thrilled to have him as a guest.

Welcome, Mark. Thank you very much for joining us today.

Mark: Thank you, Chris. Thrilled to be here.

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Defining the IEC Role

Chris: Let’s start with the basics. What is an IEC?

Mark: At the most basic level, an IEC is an educational placement advisor who works directly for a family.

Educational consultants are both experts in their particular area, and—because they work directly for the family—they provide the one-on-one help that a family needs to be able to move forward and figure out the best options available to them.

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How the Profession Has Evolved

Chris: Can you share how the role of an IEC has changed over the years?

Mark: If I go back to “ancient history” for a moment, educational consulting really grew out of helping families find an appropriate boarding school. Over time, the field grew as we realized that families needed more help than they were getting on the college search and application process.

That’s when consultants became experts at understanding:

• What each college’s strengths are

• What kinds of students they work best with

• What the social life is like on campus

• How they handle financial aid and affordability

So when a student comes in, the consultant’s expertise is:

• Helping the student figure out who they are

• Helping the family clarify their goals

• Identifying the best possible matches between that student and the colleges out there

• Guiding them through the application process itself

I often tell families: not everybody needs an educational consultant. That might be a surprise to you. If a student is recruited to play baseball at the University of Nebraska, or they know they want to start at the community college—that’s pretty straightforward. You don’t necessarily need an IEC for that.

But if you’re a student who says, “There’s a whole world out there. I don’t know where I want to go. Maybe on the other coast. Maybe overseas. I don’t even know what I want to do yet. I want to cast a wide net”—that’s a family that should be thinking about an educational consultant.

What used to be seen as an elite service for the wealthy is now much more broadly available to families of all backgrounds and means.

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Myths and Misconceptions

Chris: Any other misconceptions families might have about hiring IECs?

Mark: One big one is the idea that you hire a consultant to get you into some elitist place—that the consultant knows the right words, the right sauce, how to manipulate the system.

None of that is true, and we don’t want it to be true.

Consultants help students:

• Present themselves honestly and accurately

• Put their best foot forward

• Figure out which colleges they actually want to apply to

Another misconception is that consultants only work with elite universities. That could not be further from the truth. IECs work across the full spectrum: public, private, big, small, close to home, far away.

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How to Tell if an IEC Is Qualified and Ethical

Chris: On the IEC front, how can a family tell if an IEC is qualified and ethical?

Mark: There are lots of questions you can and should ask a consultant:

• What is your background?

• What is your experience?

• How do you stay current?

I’m going to say something a bit controversial:
If someone says, “I’m the right consultant because I was the Associate Director of Admission at Harvard,” my response is: Who cares?

That means they became an expert at one institution.

I’d rather talk to a consultant who has:

• Worked with kids at a variety of levels

• Experience with many types of colleges

• A strong record of ongoing professional development

I want to hear that they:

• Attend conferences regularly

• Do professional training on an ongoing basis

• Visit at least 20 college campuses a year

I’d also look at membership in organizations like:

• IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association)

• HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association)

• NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling)

These organizations help ensure that members meet certain standards and follow ethical guidelines.

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Where to Learn More About IECs

Chris: If a family or a student wants to learn more about IECs, where can they go?

Mark: I’d recommend starting with iecaonline.com.

There’s a tremendous amount of information there—even if you’re not going to hire a consultant. You’ll find:

• Questions to ask when looking for a consultant

• Red flags to watch out for

• Clear explanations of what IECs do

And as you know, Chris, I’m no longer associated with IECA—but I still think it’s the best source of basic information about who consultants are, the role they play, the work they do, and how to find someone.

Chris: Mark, you’re a wealth of information. If folks want to hear more from you, where can they find you?

Mark: On Substack. Just search for “Mark Sklarow” (all one word). You can subscribe—there’s no fee—and I hope it will offer valuable information for people in the field, school counselors, educational consultants, and families approaching the college process in the next year or two.

Chris: Thank you very much for talking us through the concept of what an IEC is, and for your thoughts on how to find a good, ethical one. It’s been terrific.

Let’s thank my guest, Mark. It’s been a pleasure.
Mark: Thank you, Chris. Thrilled I could be here and share a little bit of information. This was fun.

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Top Tips

Chris: What a great conversation with Mark Sklarow. It’s now time to wrap things up with kind of a summary—I call it Top Tips.

Top tips.
Top tips.
Kind of a summary, but we call it top tips.

Tonight we have four groups of tips, plus one bonus. Let’s get into it.

Tip group one: IEC definition

• IEC stands for Independent Educational Consultant.

• IECs are educational placement advisors working directly for a family.

• They offer one-on-one help, and they’re experts on colleges and students.

Tip group two: What IECs do

• IECs help students identify who they are, where to go to college, and what they want to study.

• They help students navigate the application process.

• IECs are not hired to “get you in”—they’re there to help you present your best, honest self.

Tip group three: Questions to ask when considering an IEC

• What’s your background?

• What’s your experience?

• How do you stay current?

Tip group four: Signs of a knowledgeable IEC

• They attend conferences regularly.

• They participate in professional training on an ongoing basis.

• They visit campuses regularly.

• They are members of key organizations like IECA, HECA, and NACAC.

Bonus tip: Look for the credential
There are excellent IECs who stay current and provide great service who may not choose to pursue a credential. But if someone has the CEP credential, you know a third party has certified that they have the background, experience, and ongoing professional development required in this field.

So your bonus tip is: look for the CEP credential as a shortcut for assessing an IEC’s quality, knowledge, and commitment to professional development.

And there you have it. That’s the IEC show.
Thanks for tuning in, and remember—college is awesome.