Day School Placement
Whether you are new to the area or contemplating a change of schools, working with an experienced and knowledgeable consultant could save you time, energy and resources by focusing your search upon the right schools for the right reasons. We personally visit local schools in order to gain a stronger understanding of each school’s academic program and the kind of students they best support, and to gain a differentiated understanding of each school’s culture, philosophy and mission, extra curricular offerings, strengths and range of academic offerings.
Boarding School Placement
A boarding school experience can be a transformative one for a student who seeks a strong sense of community, high levels of faculty-student interaction, unique leadership opportunities and personal growth. We enjoy helping families discover boarding schools and guiding them through the process of identifying, visiting, and applying to the most appropriate schools. Whether a student is pursuing a traditional college preparatory boarding school, a junior boarding school, a small supportive boarding school or a school with robust learning support, we use our vast knowledge of individual schools to tailor a process for each individual student. We make a concerted effort to regularly visit schools we recommend and to stay abreast of admissions trends.
Therapeutic Consulting
Academic, emotional and social struggles can play a significant role in the development of a child, adolescent or young adult. When left unchecked, these struggles can impede a young person’s progress for years to come. As a result, many families find themselves considering specialized therapeutic placements. We help families navigate the ever-evolving and sophisticated world of residential options, given the unique stresses, complexity and language of this specialized universe. We have the skill and the experience to help you navigate this unpredictable process with comfort and confidence and achieve the best outcome possible. We spend considerable amounts of our working time, about one week per month on average, visiting programs and schools around the country.
College & University Advising
The college process represents an exciting and unique opportunity for each student to learn more about themselves while managing perhaps their first major life decision. Though it's an exciting time, there may be tremendous anxiety surrounding the college search and application process. Our college counselors provide individualized, thoughtful discussions to help relieve anxiety and allow students the opportunity to grow and achieve. We enjoy working with the precocious and motivated student as much as the timid, late-blooming or complicated learner. We are skilled and prepared to help you with any aspect of the college search and application process.
Graduate & Professional School Advising
There has been an uptick in graduate and professional school applications in recent years, making it more challenging than ever to gain acceptance to the programs best suited to an applicant’s goals and interests. Our expert guidance and assistance gives our clients a competitive edge, whether they are applying to law school, business school, or any other type of post-graduate program. We can begin working with clients as early as their freshman year in college. We discuss their long-term plans and goals, and help them select college courses that will best prepare them for their desired post-graduate area of study. We also advise on summer internships and jobs, test prep, and extracurricular activities that will help round out the student’s application. Once our clients are ready to apply to graduate school, we help them craft the best application possible, as well as advise them on school selection, application strategy, and even, if necessary, scholarship negotiation, waitlist strategy, and deferrals.
Gap Year / Post Graduate Advising
More and more high school graduates consider deferring their first year in college in order to experience the unique opportunities of a Gap Year. Virtually all colleges wholeheartedly support a structured gap year, given the positive impact that gap year students bring to their college communities. Some graduates defer the college admissions process altogether and use a gap year to gain more clarity about future goals. Others may consider a post graduate year at a boarding school as a way to build skills, gain maturity, or to develop a particular sport or passion with an eye to college. However, the process of clarifying and narrowing down these options can be overwhelming. We know that each student’s experience must be unique and personalized based on individual interests and goals; therefore, we spend time developing a strong rapport with each student, putting them at the center of the planning process. It is our belief that this solid relationship will allow each student to create a gap or post-graduate year that will be a good fit and provide for a safe and meaningful experience.
Coaching
Our coaching services support mature teens or young adults– and often their stakeholders– willing to engage in facilitated dialogue around almost any issue or goal– whether it is to gain clarity about a decision or a direction, and to develop the courage to approach positive change in an organized, supported way. We have coached many high school students interested in self-improvement, as well as young adults seeking better performance in college or in life. Most of our relationships are with those who are struggling to actualize their potential. Sometimes a coaching relationship lasts just one or two sessions or it could last longer based upon the issues and the value of the work.