Love ‘em or hate ‘em, US News Grad School Rankings are widely watched and read. And guess who appears in them?
AIGAC and AIGAC’s Treasurer Graham Richmond.
Check out “Hot Tips for a Graduate Degree in Business“ which states, “Find advisers who have agreed to follow ethical practices at aigac.org.”
Inside Higher Ed continues to report on conflicts of interest involving consultants who work for colleges or graduate schools and admissions staff members who moonlight as admissions consultants. Its most recent piece, “Private Counselors Who Won’t Double Dip” spotlights the position of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants.
The article cites AIGAC as the admissions organization that has taken a clear stand on dual employement: It bans what the article calls “double dipping.”
It quotes AIGAC’s president on the basis for AIGAC’s unequivocal position:
Linda Abraham, president of the association and also of a private counseling business called Accepted.com, said that the group wants to be very clear about the philosophy behind its ban. “You can’t have two masters when their interests may be in conflict,” she said. “As an adviser to applicants, we have to try to have one employer, the applicant.”
If you are a graduate admissions consultant who shares AIGAC’s values, please consider joining AIGAC. In addition to receiving the membership benefits enumerated on AIGAC’s web site, AIGAC membership will also publicly identify you with those consultants who are not interested in compromise on conflicts of interest.
If you are an applicant, you should not have to wonder if your trusted adviser and mentor has your interest as primary or that of the school you are applying to. Seek help from an AIGAC member, and you’ll know that your interest is our primary concern. AIGAC’s membershp comprises top experts in the fields of MBA admissions, medical school admissions, and law school admissions.
A relatively new organization, AIGAC is proving itself a leader in defining standards on dual employment and conflicts of interest in admissions. I urge other graduate admissions consultants who share AIGAC’s vision and values to join. I encourage applicants to seek out AIGAC’s growing list of members when choosing an admissions consultant.