Some families use an educational consultant to help them identify the right school for their child and to assist in giving direction to the family during the application process.  A consultant can be particularly helpful if a family is considering schools in areas remote from their home, schools in multiple states, or international schools.  A consultant may also be helpful to families that are interested in enrolling their child in a school for students with special needs or a school for at-risk students.

In your search for a boarding school, you can expect to receive value from the consultant’s knowledge about individual schools and insights that will help you to understand why your child is best-suited for a particular school.  However, it is unlikely that the consultant will have any direct influence in helping your child to be admitted to a particular school.

If you decide that an educational consultant is right for you, consider obtaining services from a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). Members of IECA often have private school teaching or admissions office experience and meet professional standards.

For a list of consultants in your areas, visit the IECA Website at www.iecaonline.com or call (703) 591-4850 to request a directory of consultants.

October 2005