An education consultant is not an agency that just files paperwork on your behalf. It is a partner who guides the whole process, from assessing your child to their first semester abroad.
- The application itself is only the final 20% of the work. The real value lies in strategy, school selection and preparing your child before they apply.
- We work with a limited number of families each year so we can give every one of them proper attention.
- You have visibility into the entire process: a clear timeline, a tracking portal, and regular calls.
- Support does not stop once your child is admitted. The visa process, adjusting to a new environment and the first semester are all part of the collaboration.
- We cannot guarantee admission (no one can), but a structured process significantly improves the odds of a good outcome.
Step by step: what working with us involves
1. Initial consultation (free, 30-45 minutes)
The first consultation is free and is simply about getting to know each other. We talk by phone or video call about your situation: your child's age, academic performance, level of English, goals and budget.
By the end of the call you get an honest answer. Sometimes it is "you don't need our help, you can manage this yourselves with some guidance from us." Sometimes it is "here is a concrete plan for what we would do together."
2. Profile analysis and academic orientation
Before looking at any schools, we carry out a detailed assessment. The NBI test reveals academic strengths and weaknesses. The 16 personalities test helps us understand how your child works and thinks. A transcript analysis shows where there is room for improvement.
Based on this, we put together a personalised list of 8-12 schools that fit your child's profile. No generic ranking lists. Every recommendation comes with a reason.
It often happens that parents and their child arrive wanting to apply to prestigious British universities, only for our tests and conversations to reveal that the American structure of study would suit the child far better. For example, a child who shows a strong inclination towards interdisciplinary courses and wants a programme that includes practical experience, group projects and career workshops, rather than just lectures and exams, will generally thrive much more within the American system. In cases like this we suggest a change of direction, either towards universities in the US or towards institutions with an American-style programme structure in Europe or Asia. This is exactly the value of a thorough assessment: the decision is based on the child's profile, not on the name of the university.
3. Timeline and preparation
You receive a full-year plan: when application deadlines fall, when tests need to be taken, when we begin working on essays. Everything is kept in one place in the tracking portal, where you can see exactly where you stand and what comes next.
If preparation is needed for the TOEFL, IELTS, SAT or GRE, we start with a diagnostic test to see the current baseline. This is followed by group or one-to-one tutoring, help with test registration, and the discounts we offer as an accredited centre.
4. School selection and shortlist
Together we go through the preliminary list and narrow it down to 3-10 options. The number depends on where your child is applying and how selective the programme is.
The size of the shortlist depends on admission rates. If the chances of getting into the target programmes are around 50%, we typically suggest three to five options plus one or two safety schools where we estimate a 90% chance of acceptance. For the most competitive universities in the US or the UK, where admission rates are 3 to 5%, we add at least five more schools following the same logic. The number also depends on whether the family is targeting a single market or a combination of countries.
We never push schools we have partnerships with. We choose the ones that fit your child, your expectations and your budget.
5. Campus visits
For families who want to see schools in person, we book visits and coordinate the entire trip. We prepare your child for the visit: what to ask, what to pay attention to, how to present themselves.
Where possible, we connect you with current students and alumni. A conversation with someone who has been through the system is worth more than any brochure.
6. The application process
This is where the intensive work begins. Every school has specific requirements, and we know them.
We write individual essays for every university and programme (the personal statement). We prepare a CV in the format each school expects. We work on recommendation letters with teachers. We organise mock interviews with feedback afterwards.
For the US, your child writes 4 to 6 essays per university, ranging from 150 to 650 words, which means the total number of essays grows quickly with each additional application. For the UK, students write a single personal statement of up to 4,000 characters, which goes through 5 to 10 rounds of revision, since the same essay is submitted to all five universities and has to be a strong fit for each one. For Europe and Asia, it is usually 1 to 3 essays per university, ranging from 350 to 1,500 words.
7. Scholarships and financial documentation
If you are applying for a scholarship or financial aid, we prepare all the necessary documentation. We also write the additional essays that many scholarships require.
Scholarships for boarding schools and universities have different requirements. Some look only at academic performance, while others consider the whole profile, the family's financial situation and a motivation essay.
8. After admission: visa, accommodation, settling in
Admission is not the end of our work together. We help with the visa process, registering for orientation week, and finding accommodation.
With our premium package: support throughout the first year, tutoring, help with schoolwork, and monitoring grades. If issues with settling in or discipline come up, we stay in contact with the school and can step in.
Post-admission support is used most often by families of students heading to the US, since the American system is more complex than the European one. The wide range of subjects on offer, along with extracurricular activities and clubs that matter for building a network and gaining professional experience, require navigation where a consultant's experience makes a real difference.
How long does the whole process take?
Working together typically lasts 6-12 months, depending on the goal.
For boarding school, it is ideal to start 12-18 months before the intended start date. For undergraduate studies, the standard timing is to begin in the second year of secondary school. For master's programmes, 9-12 months is enough for most.
The earliest we have ever started was three and a half years in advance. We began with boarding school admission, and over the following two years we built out a project of summer schools, extracurricular activities and everything else that builds a strong profile for the later application. The latest we have ever managed to help was three months before a US application deadline, but that was a case where the student already had SAT preparation experience and a solid profile, so there was still enough time for strategy and the application itself.
About pricing
Pricing depends on the package and the scope of the collaboration. Every project is so individual that we can only put together an estimate after the initial consultation, once we understand what the specific child and family actually need. During the free call we go through all the details and give you a clear picture of what the collaboration includes.
How to recognise a quality team
Signs you are in good hands:
- They work with a limited number of families each year (not hundreds)
- They are transparent about the whole process from the start
- They can show you a timeline and a tracking portal
- Post-admission support is part of the offer
- They are willing to tell you "you don't need our package"
Signs you should be cautious:
- They guarantee admission (no school gives a consultant that kind of power)
- They accept every client without any selection process
- They disappear once the application has been submitted
- They offer a "free" service (they earn commissions from schools, which creates a conflict of interest)
Three questions you can ask any consultant:
- How many families do you work with each year?
- What happens if the child does not get into their first-choice option?
- What kind of support do you offer after admission?
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee admission?
No. No one can guarantee the decision of an admissions committee. Be wary of anyone who claims otherwise. What we can guarantee is a structured process that maximises your chances.
What if we already started on our own and then realised we need help?
We can take over at any point. We will assess where you stand, what has already been done, and what needs to be corrected or continued.
Do you only work with children who have excellent grades?
No. We work with children of all kinds of profiles. Grades are just one factor. It is often more important to find the right school for a specific child than to chase the school with the highest ranking.
How much time do parents need to put in during the collaboration?
The ideal is to set aside 1 to 2 hours a month. You will receive weekly or biweekly updates from us, and we hold meetings once a month, more often if needed, depending on the stage we are in.
Conclusion
Working with an education consultant is not a luxury. It is an investment in reducing risk and getting a better outcome.
Instead of navigating a system you do not know on your own, you have a partner who knows the deadlines, the pitfalls, and the schools you would never have found otherwise. It is better to invest in the process now than to pay for the wrong choice a year or two down the line.
If you are not sure whether you need help, we can spend 30 minutes on a free consultation going through your situation and tell you honestly what makes sense.
