CollegePlannerPro Blog

One of my favorite gifts my mom has ever given me is a hammer. Yep, I know. Crazy, right?  I think the reason I love it so much is that it is from her, but also I love the creativity behind its design. For starters, it’s shiny gold with a floral print and very light in my hand. Second, it was only $6.99 which makes me love it even more. Finally, it is multi-functional with its many sized little screwdrivers hidden within its handle. I love it.

I know your type. You love meeting with families. You love working with stressed-out high schoolers who struggle to write their college essays. You're thrilled to help nervous parents through the college search process. Your kind words and encouragement make the college process so easy. And fun!

So, why would you want to spend time behind your desk writing blog posts?

Easy! The real benefit: It could make a real impact on your IEC business.

Did you know that good search engine optimization (SEO) begins with excellent keywords? Sure does!

However, it goes further than that. Not only do you need to master how to use and implement excellent keywords, but you must also master keyword intent.

This quarter, we've made some key updates to the software for students and counselors alike. Let's take a look!

Let me guess. You got into the college consulting business because you want to help students, right? Then the reality of business ownership kicks in. It didn’t scare you away, but you feel pulled in many directions. Without a roadmap for success, you work on what feels right each day.

So what are the secrets of highly successful college consultants? What habits do they embrace? Let’s jump in and find out!

I’m not a great cook. In fact, for many years, cooking seemed like more of a chore than a hobby. My son is an excellent cook, but I think that was achieved out of necessity (kidding, sort of.) If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. Food is fuel. While this is true, it is also a science. A blending of spices and temperatures and fresh ingredients all resulting in the perfect recipe. The perfect recipe is hard to find. You can peruse the internet, look through binders of recipes from days gone by, ask your friends and tear pages out of magazines but chances are, the perfect recipe is the one you’ve made dozens of times and has been tested and loved by those you are cooking for.

Janos Perczel, former Harvard research fellow and co-founder of Polygence, discusses how research projects and working with mentors can help students stand out to universities, and the role IECs can play in this effort.

A blank Google doc is the worst.

Especially when you’re a blogger.

But what’s even worse is not knowing the components of writing a great blog post at all. So what if you have the most beautiful, flawless writing ever? If it’s not formatted, optimized, shared and researched, nobody knows about it.

Trust me, I’ve had a blog that nobody reads. Not a great feeling.

I’ve been blogging since 2019 and have created content for many brands since 2017 and it all forced me to understand the critical components of how to write a great blog post.

Here are the secrets!

In CollegePlannerPro's recent COVID-Impact Survey, 53% of survey participants reported business growth since the pandemic hit in March, with 19% reporting significant business growth. Citing the uncertainty and changing landscape of college admissions, less access to school counselors, and the ability to reach more students virtually, 28% of survey participants made the prediction that COVID-19's impact will have a positive financial result on their individual businesses and/or the IEC industry as a whole. 

We know that 2020 is the year in which no amount of planning could have anticipated all the twists and turns since its start. While there have been challenges, there has been resilience, too. Many have made tweaks and even wholesale changes to their IEC practices. We surveyed more than 200 IECs to help tell an industry-wide story about the impact COVID has had so far and may continue to play in the future.