FAQ

Not always. Plenty of families apply on their own. Outside help is useful when the process feels unfamiliar, the timeline is tight, your child is changing schools or cities, or you want a second opinion on fit. A first conversation with Anson can help you decide whether you need support and how much.

A consultant guides your family through the school search and applications. Anson gets to know your child, builds a school list, plans the timeline, prepares your family for visits and interviews, guides essays and parent statements and helps you weigh decisions. After 25 years as a teacher, coach, counselor and school leader, he can help you see each school the way it sees itself.

Choose someone who wants to know your child before talking about schools. A good consultant explains their thinking, is honest about fit and never promises admission. Ask about their experience inside schools, the schools they know and how often you'll hear from them. An introductory call with Anson is a chance to ask exactly those questions.

It depends on your child, your timeline and how much guidance you want, so there isn't one set price. Timing plays a large part: starting early allows a steady plan, while a late application or midyear move calls for more concentrated work in a short window. After an introductory call, Anson recommends a level of support and shares the pricing for it.

It's a relaxed 15-minute conversation. Anson asks about your child and your timeline, listens to what's on your mind and shares how he might help. If it's a good fit, you'll talk about next steps together.

Families also turn to Anson for support with a wide range of needs throughout the school search and admissions process, including executive functioning and organization, academic or behavioral concerns, identifying STEM and leadership opportunities, navigating family dynamics during the search, managing application portals, researching schools and communicating with admissions teams. Every family's needs are different, so if there's something you don't see listed here, bring it up during your first conversation with Anson. He is always happy to explore how to best help you.

A consultant can help your child apply with confidence and clarity, though no one can guarantee admission. Anson helps families build a balanced list, prepare with care and present a child's strengths clearly, so admissions teams see the student behind the application.

It depends on your family's needs and how your child's school experience is going. Most families begin three to six months before an application cycle opens, but Anson can help at any point, and a short call can show how to use your time best.

Begin with your child, then the school. Think about how they learn, what they love and where they'll grow, then about size, location, academic pace, arts and athletics, support and the feel of daily life. Anson helps families compare schools side by side, plan visits and ask the questions that reveal what life would be like for their child. With relationships at 175+ boarding and day schools, Anson knows many of them well beyond what a tour or website shows and can help connect your child's interests to their community.

Admissions ranges widely from school to school, and it also depends on how your child fits into that year's overall applicant pool. It's always helpful to keep in mind that admissions teams look at multiple factors beyond your child's transcript and essays to build their incoming class. Some admit a small share of applicants, while all try to welcome students who apply thoughtfully or are unique matches for their community. One of the benefits of working with Anson is that his experience with admissions teams gives him a realistic sense of how each school on your list could read an application.

It ranges from campus to campus, but most schools are seeking curious, kind students who are self-motivated and demonstrate a willingness to actively contribute to the school community. Recommendations, interviews, essays and the parent statement all help admissions teams picture your child on campus. Anson has prepared students for more than a thousand interviews, essays, tours and campus visits and helps your child understand how to show who they are.

By sounding like themselves. Strong essays are specific, honest and show how a student thinks. Anson helps your child set a writing schedule and use his own essay organizer, so they can find their stories and celebrate who they are. Parents are welcome to read along and help make sure the essay sounds like your child, and Anson also helps parents write a parent statement that shows the same child from another angle.

They're the online applications many schools share. Gateway to Prep Schools and SAO (Standard Application Online) are common for boarding schools, and many day schools use Ravenna. Some schools have their own application or use another platform, and Anson helps with those too, keeping track of each platform's requirements, deadlines and essays so nothing gets missed.

Yes. Many families Anson works with are looking only at day schools in their city, and others are weighing day and boarding options together.

This can depend on how balanced your list is, and working with Anson to structure it can narrow down the amount of work your family has to do to complete applications. While the number depends on the list, your family, where you live and how competitive each school is, Anson recommends families approach this so they feel confident they have enough to give their child real choices at schools they'd be glad to attend. Arriving at the right number can take time. Fortunately, the application process affords you that, and Anson is available along the way to offer guidance.

Take a breath, because a waitlist can mean the door is still open. This is when Anson works closely with families. He helps you understand each school's process, decide how to handle communication with the school and weigh strategies and options while you wait.

Sometimes, and it's worth talking through before deciding. A child who is unhappy, not challenged, struggling or ready for a fresh start may do better somewhere new. Anson can help you weigh the reasons, explore options and plan a transfer, including a midyear move, if it's the right step.

Anson works with all three, and he has coached athletes and taught arts and engineering courses himself. He helps student-athletes, performing and visual arts students and STEM, engineering and robotics students find schools that support their interests and show those strengths in their applications.

Anson works with families moving to Chicago, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area or Colorado, or back from abroad, often before they've chosen a neighborhood. He has moved his own family more than once and can help you weigh schools and communities together.