Do Independent Education Counsellors really add value?

Co-authored by Namita Mehta and Kim Dixit

The recent university admissions scandal making news all over the world has raised questions about the role of school counsellors, independent admissions counsellors as well as colleges in the US admissions process. From cheating on SAT tests to taking bribes for seats, the scandal has thrown the hallmark American social values of equal access to education and meritocracy into question. At the centre of this scandal was an external counsellor who emerged looking like a “fixer” of elite college admissions for privileged families. All these elements have put a spotlight on different types of education counsellors and their role in the education industry.

In an ideal world, students should receive support to make higher education decisions through their high school faculty and counsellors. However, not all high schools are equipped to offer such advice. In Delhi, less than three percent of private schools employ full-time counsellors, which is why the independent education counselling (IEC) sector exists.

IECs do not operate with the intention to replace school counsellors, but ideally, will work alongside them, collaboratively. The NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) definition of counsellors is, “professionals who advise or counsel students about making the transition from secondary school to college or about transferring from one college to another. The term typically refers to secondary school counsellors, independent educational consultants (IECs), counsellors associated with community-based organisations, and transfer advisers at two-year and four-year colleges.”

The inclusion of IECs in NACAC’s definition signifies their value within the college counselling community:

IECs are NOT agents – do NOT mix us up!

It is important to distinguish between an agent and an IEC. Agents are essentially representatives of a number of colleges and are compensated by the college directly when a student they recommend enrolls in that institution. This creates a potential conflict of interest: an agent might push an applicant to their contracted institutions even if these are not a good fit for the particular student.

IECs, on the other hand, do not accept money from institutions they recommend. IECs work in the interest of the student/family and if money is exchanged, it is paid by the family. IECs do this to ensure that they identify the best-fit college option based on the student’s academic ability, financial situation and personal preferences. Their advice is therefore independent of concern overpayment from a particular college and only keeps the student’s interest in mind. 

In fact according to the IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association), “Someone who is a member of IECA, HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association), AICEP (American Institute of Certified Educational Planners), NACAC, or a NACAC affiliate ties them to a code of ethics.” To ensure transparency and ethical practices, IECs should maintain membership one or more of these organisations to demonstrate their ethical alignment and compliance. 

There are not enough schools counsellors  - IECs can help bridge the gap

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, in 2017, there were approximately 586,183 Indian students studying abroad. The ratio of counsellors to students wanting global education is minimal. To maintain a globally acceptable student-to-counsellor ratio, India will need at least 1.4 million counsellors.  As the college application process is complicated, these students require assistance from high school counsellors. For example, for US applications the high school should issue complete transcripts for every student and create a school profile for submission. Also, school counsellors (or equivalent) and academic teachers are required to write detailed letters of recommendation. 

Apart from this, the number of IB schools in India has nearly doubled over the past six years. Just as IB schools need trained teachers and experienced administrative teams to deliver the curriculum, they also need a robust counselling department to help students plan their future educational journeys. Ideally, every school that has students applying to colleges abroad should have dedicated resources to help applicants navigate the process. However, this is often not the case. 

Schools that do not have the resources to hire a full-time counsellor, often lean on IECs to provide this service. Experienced IECs can help train new counsellors or guide the handful of students applying outside India. Acknowledging this need, The Red Pen has worked with many schools in the past such as the Neerja Modi School. 

“The Red Pen spent a week at the Neerja Modi School and supported me to set up our counselling department. They shared valuable resources to help me I understand the US admission process, held workshops for teachers and identified the right workshops and conferences for me to attend. This helped build a great foundation for our counselling department. Their contributions have been valuable."

Shilpa Gupta, Vice Principal and University Counsellor, Neerja Modi School, Jaipur     

IECs do communicate with universities directly – we are not taboo

Like school counsellors, IECs also build relationships with admissions officers (AOs) from colleges that travel internationally. These AOs meet students in schools as well as at IEC offices. Several AOs explain that the expertise of IECs on student requirements and the education market can be very valuable. It is more efficient for AOs to tap into the knowledge of experienced, local professional IECs rather than to try and become experts in different local educational contexts around the world. For example, the AO from Wake Forest University (USNWR nationally ranked 27th) visited India for the first time without knowledge of the difference between Indian curricula such as CBSE, ISC and HSC. The Red Pen team was able to contextualise each curriculum so that the AO could evaluate the academic records fairly and appropriately.

Similarly, an AO from The University of Washington, Seattle wanted exposure to students outside India’s metro cities but she did not have contacts with any schools in tier 2 towns, nor did she have time to build such a network for a quick 3-4 day trip. The Red Pen team was able to arrange school visits, public information sessions and one-on-one meetings in both Gwalior and Indore for her. As a result of this, her application and enrollment numbers from these cities saw a direct impact in that year. 

IECs can help AOs achieve their goals within a particular education market. However the quality and context of external educational consulting varies in different countries; what is transparent and above board in one country, may not be what it seems in another. AOs are aware of this and are likely to maintain trusted sources on the ground, while keeping an arms-length from others. 

A good IEC is a trusted partner to a wide range of AOs. But this does not mean that IECs have special relationships or can influence admissions decisions. Families looking for external support and advice on higher education should engage with a qualified and professionally affiliated IEC to ensure high standards and that their child is recommended the best-fit options for them. At the end of the day, an IEC can serve as a mentor, coach and expert, but cannot make promises that circumvent fair and ethical practices.