Nouveau Africana - A Magazine For The New African Woman

Nouveau Africana spoke with Chioma Isiadinso, the founder and president of Beyond Academia Consulting, an educational consulting company based in Westchester, New York. She has successfully advised and helped thousands of candidates get into top colleges and graduate schools in the U.S. She graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a degree in Psychology and received her Master of Education degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
She is passionate about education and enjoys advising individuals about the opportunities that exist in the U.S. and how to tap into the resources to achieve their dreams. This is part of why she has established a career in admissions recruitment. She served for a number of years as a Director of Admissions at Carnegie Mellon University and for two years as a member of the Admissions Board of the Harvard Business School.

NA: Why did you found Beyond Academia Consulting and what do you hope to achieve with it?

CI: I am committed to education; I wanted to provide expert advice to young professionals, especially minorities and internationals. During my 8 years in this profession, I have been astonished at the gap
that still exists between minorities and non-minorities when it comes to access and awareness about educational opportunities. Many talented candidates self select out of applying to premier institutions because of incorrect or limited information. Even more disconcerting are the common application mistakes made by many candidates who would have been admissible if not for those vital errors. My hope is to
see more minorities and international candidates successfully apply and gain admission to educational institutions of their dreams.

CI: As a virtual company, we have the flexibility to advise our clients in person, via phone and email. Our services range from one-on-one advising sessions, retainer packages where clients have access to one
of our consultants for the duration of their application process, to group workshops that take place around the country. Our area of expertise includes application advice and strategy to undergraduate and graduate applicants.

NA: With the downturn in the American economy, many are looking to apply to graduate programs, e.g MBA programs. How can one make their application stand out?

CI: The competition is extremely fierce. Candidates come from a variety of backgrounds and there is no particular profile that represents the “perfect” candidate. Passion and self-awareness are two of the main deal breakers in the admission process. Equally important is being realistic about your expectations, what you bring to the table and what the program has to offer you. Admissions staff are quick to tell whether someone is applying for superficial reasons like making more money, being laid off and the classic scenario, hoping to “find themselves” when they get to graduate school. Any one of these reasons is enough to result in a resounding rejection. As long as you have a clear passion about what you want to study, have researched the program and the school extensively, and put together a compelling story of why the particular program is right for you, you are on the right path.

CI: No. When I graduated from college, there were very few firms like Beyond Academia and the business of educational and career consulting was a relatively new phenomenon. Back then the typical option was to talk to your college adviser. The good news today is that while the admissions process has become more competitive, candidates have also become more sophisticated and take advantage of all the resources available to them to ensure a successful education and career.

CI: We take into account the values of the immigrant and specifically what he/she is looking to gain from their experience. The two main elements that we consider are programs that offer financial aid and those that offer a supportive environment (for example, assistance securing jobs) to immigrants.

NA: Do you aim at top institutions or do you focus on what would be best suited for the client? If so, how do you determine what is best suited without limiting your client?

CI: Our focus is on helping our clients gain admission to the best schools based upon their background, experience, and program fit. Once we have completed our general evaluation of candidates, we recommend for them to apply to three types of programs namely, the “likely” school, the “possible” school, and the “stretch” school. The strategies that we employ with each client vary depending on whether we are dealing with a “reach” or “likely” school. This system helps clients reach for top schools while ensuring that they gain admission to some programs of interest.

CI: The application process for the top programs is incredibly competitive. Therefore it is vital that candidates spend enough time preparing for the application. The ideal period is a year and half before submitting an application. For those who don’t have that luxury, hope is not lost. However, they will have to be extremely organized to get everything done. Following a carefully planned schedule and talking to experts (people who advise applicants as well as students who have gone through the process) should help facilitate this process.

CI: Candidates should think of their college or graduate education as an investment. It can be extremely expensive. However, one should consider several things when selecting a program: 1) how much money will you be able to make after securing a degree from that institution/program, 2) what is the quality of the program, 3) how many scholarships/fellowships are offered and do they have awards for minorities, internationals, women, 4) what are the “value added” benefits that are not easily quantifiable (access to a vast alumni network, reputation of excellence, career services support, diverse community, etc.

CI: Graduate degrees are not for everyone. Pursuing a graduate degree is a personal decision should be based one’s values and goals. This determination often depends on where the person is in their career and whatopportunities exist with a graduate degree. Some of the main benefits are developing a breadth of knowledge about a field, becoming an expert by specializing in a particular area, gaining access to a global network of accomplished people, entering a new career, making more money, developing fulfillment by broadening ones knowledge, and gaining new experiences.

Chioma Isiadinso can be reached at 914-332-7722 or chioma@beyondacademia.com.

Is there Life After UnderGrad?

Chioma Isiadinso can be reached at 914-332-7722 or chioma@beyondacademia.com.