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Mandee Heller Adler

Founder and CEO,
International College Counselors

College application season can be a stressful time for students and parents, so what if there was someone who could guide you through every aspect of this arduous, competitive and confusing process? Meet Featured Lady Mandee Heller Adler, founder of International College Counselors, LLC. Her company provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate school admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays and college applications. Last year, International College Counselors was one of five companies selected for the prestigious “Macro to Millions” award as part of the Make Mine a Million $ Business Contest. The company’s 2009 revenues increased over 200%, and Mandee opened three new offices in 2010.

Prior to starting International College Counselors, Mandee worked as an investment banker for Goldman, Sachs & Co in New York. She later co-founded HerDollar, Inc., which she sold to Siebert Financial Corp (NASDAQ: SIEB) in October of 2000, and served as EVP and COO of Women’s Financial Network at Siebert, a fully operational national discount brokerage focused on women.

A deep love and respect for education motivated Mandee to launch International College Counselors in 2004. She attended the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated with honors and two degrees – one from the Wharton School and one from the College of Arts and Sciences. Mandee also received an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was selected as a Class Day Speaker. Additionally, Mandee received a fellowship from Rotary International and studied at ICADE, a premier business school located in Madrid, Spain.

“I always wanted to work in business,” Mandee says. “After my first job at Goldman Sachs in New York City, I knew I liked working for myself, or to put it another way, did not like having a boss.” Her father was an entrepreneur, and Mandee liked how he controlled his time and could be there when his family needed him.

Based in Hollywood, Florida, Mandee started International College Counselors immediately after giving birth to her second daughter. “I needed an outlet to escape from the diapers,” she explains. “I started small, and in my house. The company grew as my daughters grew.”

From the beginning, Mandee ran International College Counselors like a professional service organization versus a small mom and pop shop. Today, International College Counselors has experts in various colleges and universities, and who understand individual student needs. Mandee has various office sites and is located in high schools. “This enables us to speak with colleges on a regular basis,” she explains.

Mandee tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs and dreams of each student. “Every time I get a student into his or her first choice school it’s an incredible rush,” she says.

International College Counselors lives up to its name, providing independent college and graduate school counseling for students in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. They have placed more than 400 students into programs around the country. While most business is from Florida, twenty percent of the clients live in other states and countries as far away as Bahrain, with Venezuela being the biggest international market thus far.

International College Counselors experienced growth solely through word-of-mouth and the Internet, averaging two referrals per student. Mandee now has five counselors who specialize in specific areas of study. They focus on colleges, scholarships and various programs that benefit the client. Mandee recently added her brother-in-law, Barry Liebowitz, to assist students wanting to pursue collegiate sports. He was a college athlete and gained career experience with sports-related organizations.

Mandee’s vison for International College Counselors is to be the trusted source for college admissions throughout the world. Her business has appeared in US News and World Report, The Miami Herald, The Sun Post, and The Sun Sentinal. International College Counselors was also named The Best College Advisor by The Sun Post.

What we learned from Mandee: “Don’t be afraid to brag.”

Sky’s the Limit

“Aim high and be flexible with your business model…and go for it.”

Do It Best

“I did not invent the idea of college counseling, and I always believed it was a great business. I just decided to be the best out there.”

Setting boundaries

“I like to exceed expectations. I’ve had to learn that, for my own sanity, I need to turn off my blackberry sometimes!”

This Featured Lady was profiled by Megan L. Reese, WORDrobe™ Stylist for Her Write Image in West Grove, PA.

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