HeyJaredMark Sklarow
My Substack is designed to help Independent Educational Consultants, and others in admission, to succeed by providing information and insight based on my experience of leading in the profession for some 30 years. -Mark Sklarow
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 16
- Latest publication
- Sep 30, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Aug 19, 2026
Latest issues
Protecting Your Personal Assets (opens the original)
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The question of whether to create an LLC or “go it alone” is one I mostly hear from newer IECs. But it is a legitimate question for any independent educational consultant.So let’s take a few minutes to explore the actual benefits of forming an LLC versus operating as a sole proprietor. And even those who have been at this for a while may be surprised by my conclusion. <a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RxI1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressiv
The OTHER Enrollment Cliff Has Arrived (opens the original)
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We’ve heard a lot about the arrival of the “enrollment cliff,” as the population of traditional college-age students begins a slow long-term decline, at a rate of about 1% annually. Colleges have known about that demographic change for years. They have had time to plan for it, even if many remain unprepared.But there may be another enrollment cliff developing—one that arrived much faster and is far steeper. <a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s
The Space Between Permitted and Right (opens the original)
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“The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.”— Japanese proverbWe tend to think of ethics as a question of right and wrong. In professional life, it’s often more complicated than that. For independent educational consultants, there are plenty of things we can do that we probably shouldn’t do.<a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://s
IEC Business 101: Learn to Close the Deal (opens the original)
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I have been hearing from IECs across the country that more and more families are “shopping around” for an IEC than ever before. One colleague told me it is not uncommon for parents to meet with four or five consultants before settling on one.When I asked how they track those inquiries, how they pitch their services, how they follow up, and what percentage of those families ultimately sign up with them, I hear, “That’s hard to say,” or “I’m not sure,” or “I don’t follow up with those who don’t hi
Building a New IEC Bookshelf from Scratch (opens the original)
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Over the years, thousands of you have had a glimpse of my office—whether you were watching me teach an STI course, interviewing special guests from Henry Winkler to Jeff Selingo, or connecting with admission leaders or IECs one-to-one through Zoom.Most people comment on the tchotchkes: Lambchop (the Shari Lewis puppet, not the food), the X-Wing fighter I built from Legos, or my collection of magic wands.What you couldn’t see were the bookshelves.<a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href=
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