Jesse Warren

EDUCATION is big business and, as more students desire to study abroad, the demand for education consulting services has increased.

Tapping into this market is Jordan Dotson, 25, an American from the Virginia countryside. To him, it’s not only business, but also a passion: to help students in need.

A dual creative writing and economics major from the esteemed University of Virginia, Dotson came to China in 2005 and has worked as an educational consultant since 2006. However, not all is fair in the industry, he says.

“Many students fall victim to marketing schemes and they are taken advantage of without truly being helped.”

Appalled by dishonesty in the industry and feeling a sense of responsibility, Dotson has taken matters into his own hands by establishing his own company, Ivy League Club, which helps talented young students seeking to study overseas.

The club has been just six months in the making, but already has a number of success stories.

One involves a student surnamed Chang. A talented entrepreneur with only average grades, she initially sought help at an educational agency that charged outrageous fees. Her MBA application failed, leaving her devastated. Enlisting the help of Dotson, she was shown a variety of degrees more suited to her credentials and experience. The result: Chang was accepted into a business program at Pepperdine University in California.

“She’s thrilled about it,” says Dotson, who emphasized the importance of matching students to schools and programs based on their individual strengths and traits.

Selling the idea that acceptance into overseas universities requires more than good grades and tests scores is tough, says Dotson.

“It’s hard to convince Chinese students, particularly their parents, but American schools recognize passion.”

Dotson has a number of big plans in the pipeline. First is an planned two-month workshop at Sun-Yat Sen University in Guangzhou titled: How to be Elite.

The workshop will focus on the application process, scholarship basics, and generally how to be an elite student worthy of elite schools. He plans to conduct similar workshops in Shanghai and branch out to other Chinese cities as well.

On his viability as a consultant, Dotson quoted an art critic who once stated: “You go look at 10,000 paintings, and you will know how to judge as well.”

Over the past several years, Dotson has read thousands of essays while working for consulting firms. He is also no stranger to the pen himself, having led writing workshops in the United States and China, as well as co-writing several academic guidebooks in the making.

As for business, Dotson has a goal of US$300,000 in revenue in the coming year. Although too early to tell, any indication of success can be gleaned from the multiple success stories of his clients.

“I want to help students realize their potential,” says Dotson, and he seems to be doing just that.