Finding the right boarding school can be an overwhelming process for parents and families. Every student is one-of-a-kind, and their needs are unique. How do families know at the outset of the search process which school is right for them? That’s where educational consultants come in.
Educational consultants partner with students and their parents to help them make the right decision when it comes to education. They get to know their clients, providing relevant information about what opportunities are out there and which schools might be best for them.
Student support takes many forms
Educational consultants make it their mission to know which types of support different boarding schools offer. Oak Hill Academy was pleased to survey a number of educational consultants recently and to share some of their valuable insights. Of course, academic support is key, but students and families are oftentimes looking for schools that offer “soft therapeutic support” as well.
As consultant Rebecca G. explained, “It seems so many kids are struggling with some degree of depression, anxiety, and lack of self-confidence. I don’t think a school needs to be … a therapeutic school to be able to offer some of these kinds of social-emotional supports.”
And in a world reshaped by the impacts of coronavirus, it is more important than ever for families to know how the boarding school environment will foster “hope and interest in school” for students, consultant Caroline F. said.
Once they get to know the academic, emotional, and social needs of their students, educational consultants pinpoint which schools can support those needs.
Finding your fit
Educational consultants not only “form strong relationships” with their clients, they are key partners for boarding schools as well. Oak Hill works with consultants to match our resources with what parents and families are looking for.
“We do the pre-screening and know our students well, so a lead from us is usually a much stronger one for you,” Rebecca G. said.
Getting to know students and getting to know boarding schools, consultants can help achieve what every family and every school wants for students: finding the right fit.
Day one and beyond
Educational consultants consider themselves “partners in the journey for families,” as consultant Kelly M. explained. That means the relationship goes beyond finding the fit and enrolling the student.
At Oak Hill, we pride ourselves on supporting the unique needs and the individual paths of each one of our students. We appreciate the commitment of educational consultants, who “want to know how [students] are doing once they” are in school.
Finding the right fit—and completing the educational journey—can take a village. Oak Hill offers a safe and nurturing “home away from home” for our students, and we are happy to have the support of parents, families, and educational consultants who help our students find their way to The Hill.