Boarding & Day School Advising
Placing students in the right secondary school — boarding or day.
Whether the family is weighing a top boarding school, a top-tier day school, or both in parallel, we coordinate every part of the secondary-school search — from testing through revisit days.
What it covers
A complete secondary-school search.
SSAT or ISEE preparation, school-list strategy across boarding and day options, parent statements, interview coaching, visit planning, and revisit-day support — coordinated by one senior advisor.
What's included
Built for the full application.
Boarding vs. Day Fit Analysis
An honest conversation about the right setting for this student — academic, social, and family — before the school list is built.
SSAT / ISEE Preparation
A tailored prep plan for the right test, calibrated to the schools on the family's list.
Interview Coaching
Mock interviews and presence coaching for both the student and the family interview.
Parent Statement
Drafting and revising the parent statement alongside the family — schools want to hear from you, too.
Timeline
A typical cycle.
Spring (one year before applying)
Initial consultation, fit conversation, school-list draft, and SSAT/ISEE diagnostic.
Summer
Intensive test prep, summer-program selection, and visit planning across boarding and day candidates.
Fall
School visits, interviews, application drafting, and recommender coordination.
Winter–Spring
Submissions, revisit days, decision support, and enrollment.
What you take home
What families walk away with.
A clear read on whether boarding or day is right for this student — academically, socially, and for the family.
A balanced list of target boarding and day schools where the student is competitive.
A calibrated SSAT or ISEE plan with weekly milestones into application season.
A drafted and revised parent statement, ready to send.
FAQ
Questions families ask.
- When should we start?
- At least a year ahead of applications, typically the spring of 6th or 7th grade. The earlier we start, the more room the family has for visits, summer programs, and an unhurried test schedule.
- Which test should we take?
- It depends on the schools on the list. We pick after the school-list draft, not before — and tailor the prep plan to those tests.
- Do you handle school visits?
- We plan the visits, brief the family beforehand, and coach the student on what to listen for. We accompany visits when geography allows.
- Is financial aid available?
- Yes — at most top boarding and many day schools. We coordinate the SSS submission and time it correctly against application deadlines.
Begin the secondary-school search.
We work with a small number of secondary-school families each cycle. Reach out early to start the conversation.
Schedule a consultation