TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

 INTRODUCING BUFFY AND BRUTUS

 RESOURCES

Chapter 1: Prelude to the Profession

Chapter 2: The Right Fit?

  • INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING BOILED DOWN
  • THE I IN IEC
  • THE E IN IEC
  • THE C IN IEC
  • THE ROLE OF THE INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT
  • WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU NEED TO BECOME A TOP-NOTCH IEC
  • QUICK OVERVIEW OF CONSULTING PRACTICES
    • Geographic and Demographic Conclusions:
    • Financial Conclusions:
    • Working Environment Conclusions:
    • Delivery of Service Conclusions:

Chapter 3: Readiness Clues

  • WHEN IS IT RIGHT TO START A PRACTICE?
  • BENCHMARKS OF READINESS
    • Proficiency Questions:
    • Interactional Questions:
    • Business Questions:
    • Promotional Questions:
    • Personality/Motivation Questions:
    • Stamina/Practical Questions:
  • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 4: Edupreneurship

  • OPERATING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
  • BUSINESS PLANNING

Step I: Developing a Rationale for your Practice

Step II: Organizing the Business Plan

Step IIII: Tips for Putting Together Your Business Plan

Step IV: Evaluate a Model: Sample Business Plan

  • BUSINESS CONTRACTS

Sample Business Contracts

  • PRICING: LET’S TALK MONEY
    • Determining What Your Services Are Worth
    • Tips to Help New IECs Determine the Monetary Worth of Their Services
    • Factors to Consider Before Establishing a Fee Structure
    • Pricing Models
      • The Per Consultation/Hourly Model
      • Percentage of Tuition Model
      • The Juggling of Variables Model
    • Budgeting in Accordance with Pricing Models
    • General Pricing Rules (The Antonoff Pricing Bible)
    • General Pricing Tips
    • How to Bill
    • Fee-related Conflicts
    • Tips to Avoid Conflict
  • BUSINESS MISSION: PRO BONO WORK AND TARGETING UNINFORMED AND/OR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS
  • MARKETING
    • SOCIAL MEDIA: LOG ON
      • Tips for Getting Started and Establishing a Social Media Presence
      • Social Media Platforms
      • E-newsletters as a Social Media Niche
    • WHERE TO SET UP SHOP
    • CONSULTANT RECORD KEEPING
    • REFERRING CLIENTS FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES
    • A FINAL BUSINESS TIP

Chapter 5: It’s All In The Delivery: Service Models

  • THE IEC’S CURRICULUM
  • GETTING STARTED WITH CLIENTS: INTRODUCTORY MEETING
  • MAJOR SERVICE DELIVERY MODELS
  • COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGES: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND AVOIDING THE UGLY
  • SAMPLES OF COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGES
  • NON-COMPREHENSIVE MODELS
  • PER CONSULTATION/HOURLY
  • VIRTUAL CONSULTING
  • CONSULTING LATE ARRIVALS: WELCOME ABOARD OR ABANDON SHIP?
  • ORIENTING THE STUDENT/FAMILY TO THE PROCESS
  • GENERAL CURRICULUM AND TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS

Chapter 6: IEC As Architect: Building The College List

  • INTRODUCTION
  • PRELIMINARIES TO BUILDING THE COLLEGE LIST: IDENTIFY, EVALUATE, AND CONCEPTUALIZE
    • Identify
      • Factors Important in Choosing a College
      • Additional Ways to Help Students Identify College Priorities
    • Evaluate
    • Conceptualize
      • The Axes of Comparing and Contrasting Colleges
    • BUILDING THE COLLEGE LIST: A FRAMEWORK
    • OTHER LIST BUILDING APPROACHES
    • LIST BUILDING: HOW MANY COLLEGE APPLICATIONS TO SEND?
    • PRESENTING COLLEGES TO STUDENTS
    • THE BALANCING ACT
    • GUIDING STUDENT RESEARCH AND CAMPUS VISITS
    • TRADE-OFFS
    • WORDS OF ETERNAL WISDOM
    • ACADEMIC MAJORS AND CAREER ISSUES
    • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 7: Three C’s: Consulting, Counseling, and Communicating

  • PROCESS-FOCUSED AND KNOWLEDGE-FOCUSED CONSULTING
  • PERSON-CENTERED COUNSELING
  • MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
  • EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
  • MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
  • SELECTED COUNSELING THEORIES THAT PROMOTE ATTITUDE CHANGE
    • Cognitive Dissonance Theory
    • Social Judgment Theory
    • Functional Theory
  • COMMUNICATING WITH BUSY BUFFY OR BLAH BRUTUS
  • NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
  • COMMUNICATION EVALUATION
  • CONSULTANTS AS POSITIVE CHANGE AGENTS: COMMUNICATION EVALUATION

Chapter 8: Knowledge: The Holy Grail

  • UNEARTHING THE ANSWERS
  • DEVELOPING A LEARNING PLAN
  • VISITING COLLEGES
  • JOINING PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
  • EARNING A PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE
  • ATTENDING PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS, INSTITUTES, AND SUMMER PROGRAMS
  • WORKING TOWARD PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALING
  • PURSUING ADVANCED DEGREES
  • EARNING SPECIALIZED CERTIFICATES
  • ACCESSING WEBINARS, BLOGS, PODCASTS, AND TWITTER
  • RESEARCHING (NON-TRAVEL)
  • TALKING, LISTENING, AND SHARING
  • WORKING WITH A MENTOR
  • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 9: The IEC As Manager

  • EXPECTATION MANAGERS
  • INFORMATION MANAGERS
  • UNCERTAINTY MANAGERS
  • REFRAMING MANAGERS

Reframing Guidelines

Chapter 10: Know Thy Students

  • STUDENTS AND PARENTS: WHO’S WHO AS FAR AS THE IEC IS CONCERNED?
  • KNOW YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC
  • GENERATION Z (iGEN)
  • TEENAGE DEVELOPMENT
  • GETTING TO KNOW BUFFY AND BRUTUS
  • INTERPRETING COLLEGE MATCH SELF-SURVEY RESULTS
  • RESOURCES TO GET TO KNOW STUDENTS
  • SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF STUDENTS
    • Athletes
    • LGBTQ
    • Traditionally Underrepresented Populations
    • Multicultural Students
    • Community College Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Older Students/Nontraditional Students
  • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 11: Learning Disabilities Consulting

  • LEARNING DISABILITIES: WHAT IECS NEED TO KNOW
    • Dyslexia
    • Dysgraphia
    • Dyscalculia
    • Nonverbal Learning Disabilities
    • ADHD
    • Executive Function
    • Asperger’s Syndrome
  • LEARNING STYLES
  • THE CONSULTANT’S ROLE IN IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL LEARNING DISABILITIES
  • POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION LAW: INFORMING PARENTS AND STUDENTS
  • POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND LD STATISTICS
  • LD AND ADMISSION
  • THOUGHTS REGARDING DISCLOSURE OF LD
  • LD AND BEST FIT
  • ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Basic Accommodations
    • Moderate Services
    • Comprehensive
  • SAT/ACT TESTING: CRITERIA AND ACCOMMODATIONS
  • APPLYING FOR COLLEGE ACCOMMODATIONS
  • REGISTERING FOR LD SERVICES
  • TIPS FOR THE IEC: EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
  • PREPARING FOR COLLEGE: ESSENTIAL SKILLS TO DEVELOP
  • FEDERAL EDUCATION RIGHTS TO PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)
  • QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN EVALUATING POTENTIAL COLLEGES
  • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 12: Parents As Partners (Buffy And Brutus, Sr.)

  • MEET THE PARENTS
  • PARENTAL INPUT
    • Sample Questionnaire I
    • Sample Questionnaire II
    • Sample Questionnaire III
  • PARENTAL FEEDBACK
    • Client Satisfaction Survey Sample I
    • Client Satisfaction Survey Sample II
  • PARENTAL STYLES
  • INTERACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH PARENTS
  • ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES
  • PRINCIPLES FOR WORKING WITH DIFFICULT PARENTS
  • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 13: Higher Education And Admission Landscape

  • SURVEYING THE COLLEGIATE LANDSCAPE
    • Two-year Colleges
    • Four-year Colleges and Universities
    • Public Institutions
    • Private Institutions
    • Trade and Vocational Schools
    • Other Distinctions and Categories
  • THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TERRAIN: HOW TO HELP FAMILIES DECIPHER A CONVOLUTED ROADMAP
    • A Look Back at Selective Admissions
  • THE INNER WORKINGS OF ADMISSIONS OFFICES
  • THOUGHTS REGARDING DEMONSTRATED INTEREST
  • IECS AND ADMISSION OFFICERS: RELATIONSHIPS AND ROLES

Chapter 14: Money Talk

  • TO APPLY OR NOT TO APPLY: THAT IS THE QUESTION
  • NAVIGATING THE FINANCIAL AID PROCESS
  • EDUCATING COST-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS
  • STICK TO THE SCOPE
  • THINK THROUGH DEBT: TIPS FOR THE IEC TO PROVIDE TO FAMILIES
  • THOUGHTS REGARDING THE WORTH OF HIGHER EDUCATION
  • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 15: Essentials Of College Planning

  • PREPARING FOR COLLEGE ADMISSION
  • ESSENTIALS OF COLLEGE PLANNING
    • Course Selection
      • Academic Rigor
      • College Admission Requirements Example
    • Grades
    • Teacher and Counselor Recommendations
    • Standardized Testing
      • SAT Subject Tests
      • Test Preparation
    • Non-Academic Time
    • Essentials Determined by Individual Need
    • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 16: The Art Of The Application

  • ADVISING ON APPLICATIONS
  • ACTIVITY LIST
  • ORIENTING STUDENTS TO THE QUALITIES OF A STRONG PERSONAL STATEMENT
  • ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH THE COLLEGE ESSAY
  • SUPPLEMENTS: LET THE WRITING CONTINUE!
  • COLLEGE INTERVIEWS
  • ADVISING STUDENTS WHEN TO SUBMIT AND COMMIT
  • TEST SCORES OPTIONAL: DO I DARE SHARE?

Chapter 17: The Finale And The Launch

  • ACCEPTANCE LETTERS
  • REJECTION LETTERS
  • THE WAITLIST
  • DEFERRAL LETTERS
  • THE FINAL MEETING
  • THE TRANSITION TO COLLEGE
  • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 18: Growing And Evolving

  • PRACTICE EXPANSION
  • CHANGING YOUR DELIVERY MODEL
  • ADDING PERSONS TO YOUR PRACTICE
    • Tips for Expansion
    • Agreements/Contracts
      • Agreement 1
      • Agreement 2
      • Agreement 3
    • BECOMING A SPECIALIST
      • “One-Step” Specialization
      • “Two-Step Plus” Specialization
    • FINAL THOUGHTS

Chapter 19: A Principled Practice

Chapter 20: The Joys Of Consulting

  • GOALS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PROFESSION
  • SUCCESS STRATEGIES
  • WISDOMS
  • JOYS

APPENDICES

  • Appendix A: Professional Standards and Codes of Conduct
  • Appendix B: Assessment of My Practice
  • Appendix C: College Match Self-Survey
  • Appendix D: College Planning Values Assessment
  • Appendix E: Self-Knowledge Questionnaire

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS