 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
AIGAC's History and MissionThe core concept of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) can be traced back to an initiative that the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth adopted in Spring 2005. Inviting twenty-four graduate educational consultants from eighteen countries, the Tuck School of Business held the first-ever “Conference for International Educational Consultants.” Sponsored by Tuck’s Admissions Office, the conference provided insight into Tuck’s academic programs, its faculty and students, and its close-knit learning environment. It is here that two of AIGAC’s four founding members met: Linda Abraham of Accepted.com and Ricardo Betti of MBA Empresarial (Brazil). One year later Graham Richmond of Clear Admit and Maxx Duffy of Maxx Associates met at the second Tuck conference. Inspired by the collaborative spirit and camaraderie of the international educational consultants, Accepted.com in Fall 2005 submitted a proposal to the Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®) to provide a presentation for its membership at their annual conference in June 2006. After the proposal was accepted, MBA Empresarial, Maxx Associates, and Clear Admit were invited to be co-presenters of the session entitled Admission Consultants: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Use ‘em. GMAC®, for the first time, included these educational consultancies at its annual conference. The four invited consultancies, long-time leaders in the field with a combined 70 years of industry-defining experience, discussed what graduate admissions consultants do, the role they play in guiding graduate applicants in the admission process, the benefits they offer graduate admission offices, and the vision they have of how graduate admissions consultants and graduate management admission offices might work together. During the GMAC® presentation, the four consultancies announced their interest in forming a not-for-profit association to realize the concept of setting industry standards for graduate admissions consultants. In November 2006, AIGAC was officially incorporated in the State of California. AIGAC Mission StatementAIGAC promotes high ethical standards and professional development amongst graduate admissions consultants, increases public understanding of graduate admissions consulting, and enhances channels of communication with complementary organizations and entities. |
"Business leaders constantly surround themselves with skilled advisors in order to make the best decisions. While the decisions are ultimately theirs, the process of bouncing ideas and talking through problems is tremendously valuable. The same is true in the admissions process where candidates may need guidance in exploring career options, identifying appropriate programs and determining the best way to position their candidacy. An organization like AIGAC assures both schools and candidates that there are industry standards in place and consulting firms linked to this organization are following ethical practices. It also opens the door for sharing best practices within the counseling industry and for closer engagement between the counselors and the schools." - Rosemaria Martinelli, Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business |
||
|
Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants |
