Why should I work with an independent educational consultant (IEC)?

By working with an educational consultant, you’ll receive up-to-date, trusted admission guidance from a reliable source. At Glasofer Educational Consulting, we visit school campuses regularly, meet with school representatives, and participate in webinars and professional development opportunities related to the field. As educational consultants, we personalize our services to meet your specific needs, as well as help prepare individualized timelines and action plans to ensure that nothing gets overlooked. In addition to reducing stress around the admission process, we get to know our clients well and assess students’ strengths and weaknesses. This is important in helping identify right-fit school programs where students will be happy and thrive.

What differentiates Glasofer Educational Consulting?

Dina Glasofer and Dale Seabury are both former admission professionals who served on selective school admissions committees. Over the years, they have developed keen insights into how admissions decisions are made and they understand what personal qualities and areas of involvement resonate with admission officers. Additionally, Dina and Dale both have extensive marketing and communications experience, which helps as they guide clients to effectively communicate their own personal strengths and authentic stories.

Dina and Dale are encouraging and compassionate coaches who will also challenge individuals of all ages to express themselves honestly and powerfully. They believe that the admission process should be an enlightening journey of personal growth and self-discovery, and by working together, they pledge to make the experience less stressful, illuminating, and even fun!

What are the primary responsibilities of an IEC?

While IECs assume a wide range of responsibilities, some of the main duties include providing individualized attention, along with sharing knowledge about specific schools and the overall admissions process. IECs help families think deeper about what factors and qualities matter most to them, identifying schools that will be a good fit where students will be happy and find success. IECs also provide support throughout the admissions process, which might include assistance around application timelines, admission essays, interviewing, and more. Since each student is unique, IECs learn as much as possible about their clients to identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer guidance around their individual school applications. 

How can I ensure that I am working with a qualified and ethical consultant?

By working with an educational consultant who is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), you can be assured that you are working with a professional who has been vetted through IECA’s intense application process and who subscribes to these Principles of Good Practice. Before hiring a consultant, make sure to ask important questions to ensure that you are partnering with someone who will be a good fit for your family. Here is a list of 12 questions to ask before hiring an educational consultant.

By partnering with Glasofer Educational Consulting, you will be working with professionals who hold themselves to the highest ethical standards. Both Dina and Dale have always received positive feedback in their jobs regarding their professionalism and integrity, and they pride themselves on their ethical approach to working with clients.

When should I begin working with an educational consultant?

For students applying to private day and boarding schools, many programs have admission deadlines in January (or earlier), so it’s recommended to start the process by the preceding summer, or earlier. This provides enough time to fit in school visits, plan for testing, and be thoughtful about the overall application process. However, for students starting the process later on, there are often flexible options to meet a shorter timeline.

For applicants applying to MBA programs, or other graduate schools, it is often recommended to start working with an IEC 6-12 months in advance of the application deadline.