Of Admissions Consulting

Yesterday morning, I received a long-pending testimonial from one of my old clients who has gone to Harvard. The message was personal; so, I’m not going to repeat it here. What I do want to mention is a phrase he used – ‘Life Mentor’ – that reinforces the one thing I’ve always believed about being an admissions consultant.

Ours is a queer and demanding profession. For six months a year, and arguably, the most happening six months for an Indian (July to January), we forget everything. Family and personal commitments take a backseat resulting in missed holidays, rushed festivals, skipped meals, shortened storytelling sessions, and not to forget, the perpetually postponed beautician appointments J We plunge headlong into the mad rush of one deadline after another, innumerable brainstorming and strategizing calls, editing of countless documents, and fact finding and researching on numerous programs, universities, and professions. Nearly every season, we think, “That’s it! Next year, we’ll do something else!” But we still carry on beating all odds, working round the clock, living a lopsided life, prioritizing ‘clients’ above all.

Then, why? What makes us carry on year after year, dreading the ‘peak season,’ waiting for it to get over, and then missing it when it is actually over?

Sure, we work for money! But money alone cannot motivate the overcoming of such challenges as we do every year. Speaking for myself, there are three answers to this.

There are very few professions that give a person the ability to touch other lives in the deepest, most tangible ways. Ours is one of those. We deal with dreams. And we make them come true. We help people find their truest voice, uncover their greatest strengths, and take them where they want to be. It can be an undergraduate degree when they create for themselves a launch-pad for greater success; a research program through which they are capacitated for original contributions to any field of their choice; or advancement programs through which they build skills and knowledge that will take them to greater heights or on a new path they want to chalk for themselves. We stimulate thought and action and map them to the right direction, ensuring they are set for the success they have dreamt of. It is the attitude of the admissions consultant that makes all the difference here. You have the opportunity to be a ‘life mentor’ – as my client mentions J - and for me, that is the greatest motivation of all in being an admissions consultant.

The second reason – learning. Yes, it is perhaps the only profession where you get to learn about all other professions! The Arts, the Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Commerce, Management, and all the diversified interdisciplinary domains there are. We guide actors and directors, economists and scientists, leaders and path-breakers, social activists and entrepreneurs  – in that phase of their careers when they are waiting for their potential to unfurl and begin their journeys to their cherished goals. But that is not all. We learn about people and from people – enthusiastic youngsters, seasoned professionals, passionate researchers, men and women, dreamers, lost souls, and focused achievers. We deal with them all. We learn about cultures and nations. We learn about vocations, ambitions, and ideals.  We learn to articulate and to listen. And we grow in myriad ways (apart from sideways, in our chair, of course).

The third reason – challenges. (With due respect to all men in the profession), most admissions consultants are women! Does that say something? Yes, the gender that thrives on challenges of the most complex kinds. Those who know to push their limits, reach outside their comfort zone to bring out the best in themselves, multitask profusely both mentally and physically, be decisive under the most trying of circumstances, and nurture others. That’s admissions consulting for you! When twenty-four hours of the day are not enough and you got to decide between masala dosa or cheese sandwich (the latter giving you half an hour extra to finish one essay), a naamkaran ceremony or half-day picnic (where you can wear your jeans and carry your laptop or at least finish one brainstorming session!), and the children’s park or a badminton match (obviously the former because then you can think of your next application strategy while your child plays). But that’s not all! You have your clients – the ones who don’t talk and the ones who talk too much, the ones who can’t write and the ones who send 5-pagers for 100 words, the ones who don’t know a thing and the ones who know it all; and, the ‘best’ part, the nosy parents and the NRI sisters. For each one, you have a different strategy and it must come to you in the blink of an eye. Because there is just no time!

In sum, an admissions consultant is your ‘nutty professor’ – by which I mean she is going nuts herself but still knows to guide you with composure and tact. She is your mentor, sounding board, and jack of all trades, literally (aspiring to be your master….ahem, just saying!)

So there! Having said all that, I realize I have just had a cathartic moment! Now I feel so much better and well prepared for the coming season J Let’s rejoice then and believe that we are a lucky lot. Our job is tough but our job is more rewarding than many others. We see, we learn, we grow. With every season, we become better. And as we shape other lives, we shape ourselves too – becoming fiercer and stronger, versatile and focused, empathetic and energetic (and not to forget – more apple-shaped or pear-shaped, as the case may be).

Before I conclude, in case you’re wondering what Po and Shifu are doing in my post, that’s what my client calls me – the Shifu to his Po – and that’s no less than the crown of lifetime achievement sitting ‘fat’ on my head (though I have no intention of retiring anytime, soon or late)!

What’s your take on admissions consulting?