What is an Independent Educational Counselor? (Part 2 of 4)

An Independent Educational Counselor (IEC) is an individual who is hired by families to provide expert college counseling assistance. IECs are qualified professionals 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.

2.  Campus Visits
 
One criteria of achieving the highest level of membership in IECA is to have visited a minimum of 50 college campuses. This is extremely important because being on campus allows an IEC to feel the atmosphere in and around the quad, interact with students to understand the campus social life and to see the security of dorm rooms in which your son or daughter will be sleeping in each night. This firsthand knowledge is something that cannot be gained by perusing brochures, browsing websites, or hearing the facts/figures from admission representatives at college fairs. This is valuable information that an IEC has the time to learn, not just during summer vacation, but while college is in session. Did you know that according to IECA, an IEC spends an average of 20% of their time traveling to an average 22 college campuses a year? I personally visited 38 college campuses in 8 states in 2012 and have already visited 3 schools in Ireland in 2013.