How Do Independent College Counselors Keep Track of All Those Colleges?

Professional development is important in many professions, but for independent college counselors, it’s crucial.  I am a resource for my clients and their parents, and to be successful, I must stay on top of issues related to college admissions.

Several professional organizations help me do this:  I’m a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC), the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA – Associate Member).  Through these organizations, I am frequently invited on college tours, to events with college admissions representatives and to meetings that help me stay informed.

When I totaled up my professional development hours for 2012, it came to over 200 hours, including conferences and meetings, college tours and information sessions, presentations and volunteer activities. 

I visited over forty colleges last year – the average independent counselor visits 22.  I've scheduled several tours for this spring which will take me to almost thirty more colleges this year.  Because my philosophy is that it feels better to get an acceptance letter than a rejection, I help students explore colleges that could be a good match for them – even if they’ve never heard of the colleges I ask them to consider.  While it’s important for parents to have that perfect bumper sticker for the car, it’s more important for a student to have a college experience that fits them academically and socially. 

You can see my impressions of the colleges I’ve visited here (CA schools) and here (outside of CA).  There are probably a number of names you won’t recognize!

IECA has some recommendations for questions you should ask before hiring an independent college counselor – you can find them here.  I recommend you hire someone who keeps up to date on admissions trends, visits colleges, uses college counseling software that’s easy for you to use and understand, and treats your student as if this process is their journey. 

For me, the process doesn’t end when the students receive their acceptance letters, but rather, when they call me two years down the road and tell me that this was the best decision they ever made.