Top Educational Consultants for Boarding & Day Schools and Colleges

Cairn Educational Consulting

For the journey ahead

 
 
 

Cairn Educational Consulting provides expert guidance for families navigating the enrollment process at boarding and day schools, and colleges. Our specialized services offer individualized attention, leveraging extensive knowledge of hundreds of top educational institutions to help you find the best fit for your child.

As experienced educational consultants, we offer customized assistance tailored to your family's unique needs. Our comprehensive support ensures a smooth admissions process, addressing every detail from application strategies to deadlines.

Serving families across the United States and around the world, Cairn Educational Consulting is dedicated to making the school selection and enrollment process as seamless as possible. Partner with us to benefit from our expertise and personalized approach in achieving your child's educational goals.

 

Cairn (noun): a landmark identifying the path to the top of a mountain

Why Work with an Educational Consultant?

Educational decisions are crucial and can be among the most challenging choices parents face for their children. With a vast array of options and increasingly complex, competitive admission processes, educational planning often feels overwhelming.

As a leading educational consultant, Cairn Educational Consulting specializes in identifying your child’s unique needs and guiding you through the admissions process. Our expert team uses extensive wayfinding experience to ensure your child finds the right educational placement, transforming their aspirations into reality.

For answers to additional questions, please see our Boarding School FAQs or Day School FAQs.

  • Understanding Your Child's Needs

    Our one-on-one approach ensures that we build a strong, supportive relationship, allowing us to tailor our consulting services to best meet your child’s requirements and aspirations.

  • Setting your Child Up For Success

    We unlock your child's potential by identifying schools where they can thrive academically, athletically, artistically, socially and emotionally throughout their development.

  • Achieving Successful Outcomes

    We guide you toward the best path for your child's educational future, ensuring they are happy, successful, and challenged every step of the way.

Testimonials

  • “Our family was trying to understand the many options related to east coast Prep school. Mike was so helpful in guiding us to understand the process, the politics, the nuances and the schools in a way we would never have understood without his hands-on experience. Its always a good idea as a parent to have a team of trusted advisors. Mike is a great addition to any family looking for smart, deep and real experience.”

    Pete S., Basalt, CO

  • “As a parent faced with an overwhelming number of decisions when moving to a new city and a new set of school options (both independent and public) Alex was a godsend. We had no idea how to start to parse the information, and Alex helped us figure out the right set of questions that we need to be asking to find the right match with our values. She was a trusted sounding board, was able to help us think through our own priorities, and most importantly had our family’s best interest in mind. Everyone should have an Alex in their corner.”

    Anne, New York, NY

  • “Mike helped us successfully navigate the boarding school process with our 3 older boys. He knows the boarding school landscape extremely well and helps students find schools that meet their individual criteria. He works with students to ensure they are prepared to tell their story in the interview. Mike is a fantastic resource.”

    Bush & Jamie H., Aspen, CO

  • “Alex is a true professional. She gives her full attention to every detail and will be with you every step of the way in your journey to find the right educational setting for your student. The quality that differentiates Alex from the rest of the professionals in her field is her genuineness and how she cares about each and every student/family she works with. If you have Alex in your corner, you will get the best educational advice and attention you can find in New England. I have four kids who have worked with many educational consultants, none that have cared and been in our corner as Alex was. If you hire Alex Ince, I can assure you that your admissions journey will be a successful and pleasurable one.”

    Lori, Vermont

  • “For my family it has been a luxury to have Alex as an advisor. Her commitment has gone beyond what is expected. For my son Ignacio, it has been amazing to know that there´s someone that takes care and worries almost like your own family. Her guidance, always thinking what is best for the student´s career, has been impartial and objective. She is reliable, someone you can trust.”

    Victoria, Madrid, Spain

  • “Both my husband and I went to public school and Alex was incredibly helpful and informative as we navigated new terrain and the process of choosing a boarding school for our son. She was so forthcoming with resources and guidance as we asked question after question and her friendly demeanor put us at ease. We highly recommend Alex! Her tenure in admissions and as a boarding school parent allow her the ability to offer tremendous and valuable insights.”

    Kerrie, Darien, CT

  • “Mike was an excellent resource for our family in determining the right school for our daughter. We were very unfamiliar with the boarding school process. Mike worked with us to develop a ‘right fit” list of schools based on our daughter’s capabilities and interests. He helped us navigate the SSAT schedule and application process. We were thrilled with the outcome and our daughter has been very happy with the school she chose to attend. Thanks so much to Mike for helping our family on the complicated boarding school application journey.”

    Lisa B., Aspen, CO

  • “The day we met Alex Ince will forever be a turning point in my daughter’s life. Alex welcomed us with such positive energy and enthusiasm, and she gave our daughter permission to be herself. Alex was not focused on “telling”, but rather listening. She went beyond the surface level and wanted to get to know our daughter, what made her tick and what brought out the best in her. Alex’s intuition and willingness to let our child be vulnerable drew her in and gave us such a strong sense of connection that we appreciate so very much. We found our daughter’s happy place because Alex connected with her and everything else has fallen into place!”

    Lis, Southport, CT

  • “Mike is an outstanding teacher and advisor for students looking to go to boarding school. Mike provided insightful, reassuring guidance during the boarding school selection process. My own close-knit boarding school experience, surrounded by different types of (life-long!) friends with myriad perspectives, ignited my love of learning and transformed my understanding of myself and the world. I wanted this for my daughter! Mike helped us navigate the intricacies of the boarding school process and worked closely with us to find a school that fit our daughter’s personality and learning style, as well as our family’s needs and values. Overall, Mike is a superb teacher, advisor, and person!”

    Kim M., Ojai, CA