9 Questions to Ask When Considering Hiring an Independent Educational Consultant
9 Questions to Ask Your Independent Educational Consultant
The Atlanta private school landscape is vastly changing. Few decisions have as great an impact on the life of a family as the choice of a learning environment—one that is safe, challenging, and most importantly, allows your child to thrive. Below are some questions to review if you considering hiring an Independent Educational Consultant.
1. Do you guarantee admission to a school, one of my top choices, or a certain minimum dollar value in scholarships? (Do NOT trust any offer or guarantees.)
2. How do you keep up with new trends, academic changes and evolving campus cultures? How often do you get out and visit college, school, and program campuses and meet with admissions representatives? (The ONLY way to know about the best matches for you is to be out visiting schools regularly!)
3. Do you attend professional conferences or training workshops on a regular basis to keep up with regional and national trends?
4. Do you ever accept any form of compensation from a school, program, or company in exchange for placement or a referral? (They absolutely should not!)
5. Are all fees involved stated in writing, up front, indicating exactly what services I will receive for those fees?
6. Will you complete the application for admission, re-write my essays, or fill out the financial aid forms on my behalf? (No, they should NOT; it is essential that the student be in charge of the process and all materials should be a product of the student’s own, best work.)
7. How long have you been in business as an independent educational consultant (IEC)?
8. What was your background prior to going into independent educational consulting? What was your training and education?
9. Will you use personal connections to get me in to one of my top choices? (Hiring an IEC who has long-standing relationships with many types of schools will be influential in helping parents navigate the admissions process with insight and care).
If you decide to hire an IEC, ascertain that your coach has your family's best interest at heart and most importantly, understands the complexities and ambiguities of the ever-changing private and public school landscapes within the Greater Atlanta Area.