PLAN WELL • CHOOSE WELL • APPLY WELL 

The fundamental role of independent educational consultants (IECs), such as Jona Jacobson of jj College Admission Advising LLC, is to help students explore college opportunities and find the right place for them to succeed and thrive both academically and socially. IECs don’t get students admitted—they help students demonstrate why they deserve to be admitted at appropriately chosen schools. They help students find colleges they might not have heard of—often out of their region—and they help students put their best foot forward. Here are 5 things families should consider when looking to hire an IEC:

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1. Determine whether the IEC belongs to a professional association such as IECA, HECA, or NACAC with established and rigorous standards for membership.

2. Do not trust any offers of guarantees—guaranteed admission to a school or of a certain minimum dollar value in scholarships.

3. Ensure that the IEC adheres to the ethical guidelines for private counseling established by IECA, HECA, and/or NACAC.

4. Find an IEC that visits college campuses and meets with admissions representatives regularly in order to keep up with new trends, academic changes and evolving campus cultures.

5. Find an IEC who attends professional conferences or training workshops on a regular basis to keep up with regional and national trends and changes in the law.
    

Jona Jacobson of jj College Admission Advising (jjCAA) provides all services with utmost integrity, including coaching and advice to students and parents through the college choice, college application, and college essay writing processes. All work must be the student’s work. Jona Jacobson of jjCAA does not complete applications for students, or draft or prepare essays or short answer responses for students or families. Furthermore, Jona Jacobson of jjCAA does not condone others drafting work for students. Jona Jacobson of jjCAA provides all services in accordance with the codes of ethics, professional practice, and conduct required by the professional organizations of which she is a member, including NACAC, IECA, and HECA, all as listed and described in the following links.

https://www.nacacnet.org/globalassets/documents/advocacy-and-ethics/statement-of-principles-of-good-practice/nacacs-code-of-ethics--professional-practices.pdf

https://www.iecaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IECA_Principles_of_Good_Practice2018.pdf

https://hecaonline.org/standards5

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