A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME
I would love to help your family navigate the school landscape in the greater Seattle area. I have strong knowledge of both public and independent schools covering Seattle city proper and the communities on the east side of Seattle. I consult with families that are current area residents and families relocating to the Seattle area. I annually visit our area’s public and independent schools, and continue to attend open houses, school meetings and school related events plus meet with admission professionals. I have presented at several Seattle area independent schools, local business organizations and parent groups. I just celebrated the 9 year anniversary of Savvy on Seattle and have successfully assisted over 300 families to date.
As an expat in Singapore, I began advising new expat families on schools and life in Singapore and was mentored by several professionals from The Singapore American School (SAS) and local relocation experts. I found I loved assisting families with their transition especially learning more about their children and introducing them to life in Singapore.
In 2014, when our family moved back to my hometown of Seattle, I was hired by School Choice International (SCI - Bennett Consulting), a global education firm. I specialized in research of Seattle area preschool through high school programs for relocating executive families for their Fortune 500 clients. I consulted in the Seattle area for SCI for two years and then in 2016 I formed my business, Savvy on Seattle allowing me the flexibility to work with more families.
I am a Seattle native, parent of twin young adults and a former marketing executive who spent 20+ years at various Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Starbucks and the Omnicom Group. In addition to having lived in several Seattle neighborhoods, as well as Mercer Island and Bellevue, WA, I have resided in New York City, Boulder, CO, Dallas, TX, and Singapore.
I am passionate about education and I am a volunteer college coach for the nonprofit organization ScholarMatch. ScholarMatch makes college possible for underserved youth. I am proud to be a part of this organization and look forward to serving students and their families. I am an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association. I have presented at their annual conference and volunteer on several committees working with consultants across the United States. IECA members are fully vetted and provide references from educators and former clients and demonstrate the highest standards in education, training, ethics and experience.
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I offer in-person or Zoom consultations to assist both relocating and Seattle resident families evaluating independent schools. In our meeting we will discuss your student, review schools and evaluate options for your family. I will also speak with you about how to get the most out of Open Houses, expectations for your family and student interviews and best practices for submitting your application including essay review. We may also evaluate public school choices based on your housing and lottery/choice schools, when applicable.
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I offer an initial 60 minute Zoom consultation for a set fee of $200*. Additional research and follow up will be prorated after the initial consultation fee has been met. I am also available to organize and accompany you on Seattle school and neighborhood tours for $100/hr.
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If you are moving with a corporation, I am happy to speak with your HR recruiter, as many Seattle companies pay for my service as part of their relocation package.
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If you require additional services, I am happy to provide you a referral at no cost to an educational consultant that may be a better fit for your family. I also provide referrals to IECA certified consultants for boarding schools, therapeutic school placement and college counseling.
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All consultations billed through PayPal at the 1st of the month for work to date. Payment accepted through PayPal, bank transfer or check. W9, proof of licensing and insurance will be provided upon request.
*Payment will be required in advance if consultation is cancelled less than 1 hour prior to our appointment and a $25 rebooking fee will be incurred.
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Many families need only 1-2 hours of consultation time, especially if they are already familiar with the Seattle area. The average consultation is 3-4 hours and I charge hourly to make sure you are only paying for the time you need to have a balanced list of school options.
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There is GET IN TOUCH button on each page of the website including the pricing page. I respond to most inquiries within 24 hours.
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An initial consultation takes place over Zoom and the first contact usually works best with just the adults on the call. We will review specifics to your family including job location, information on your children, current school, interests, academic track record and curriculum requests. We will spend the rest of the consultation speaking about school districts and/or independent school options and usually have time to get even more specific. I always recommend you take notes, as we can cover a lot in the initial meeting.
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I feel that Seattle has a wide range of strong public and independent schools. Like many cities, the schools vary by area and even with the individual district. When we meet, we will discuss best fit for the student, your commute, budget, and family values to determine options for your family.
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I have extensive knowledge of the following districts: Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Lake Washington and Northshore.
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I have worked with students that have gained admission to the broad range of our area's independent schools and the majority of my families have received multiple school offers. I feel strongly there is a right fit school for every student.
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I am happy to work with you and your child on all aspects of your application. Many families find it helpful to have another "set of eyes" review their application and make suggestions. Other families would like me to be more involved and assist with essay brainstorming, review writing drafts and practice interview skills with both the parents and the child.
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Yes. I will review your students IEP and/or 504 reports and dive deeper into a best fit learning environment. The Seattle area offers support services across public schools, and they will differ by district and school. There are also several independent schools addressing specific learning needs that may be an option. If I can not be of assistance, I will refer you to an IECA that specializes in this area.
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Yes. I can review current evaluations including the CogAT, Weschler (Wisc-V) and Stanford Binet and will use that information to gauge if your child qualifies for a program or will need to sit for additional testing. The Seattle area offers highly capable services in many of the public schools beginning in elementary school and is home to several highly capable independent schools too.
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I can never guarantee a tour and it is not common for public schools to allow tours outside of their planned Open House events. In some cases, a public school will allow a family to visit, and I am happy to facilitate. If a visit is not allowed, we will talk through other strategies to get to know the school and community.
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Many times, it makes sense for the family to reach out directly to the admissions director to arrange a visit. This is not always possible for families relocating internationally or off the admissions cycle and I am here to assist you. We will identify right fit schools and craft a plan for your visits. In some cases, families would like me to attend the visits with them (when applying off cycle) and this can easily be arranged but is not necessary.
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I would be happy to provide you a list of IECA consultants that specialize in boarding schools across North America.
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Yes, being a Seattle local and having raised my own children here, I am very well versed in sports, the arts and camp opportunities. I am happy to research and provide recommendations across all extra-curricular activities.
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Hiring a consultant is an option and tends to work well defining what a family is looking for in a school and can save a family a lot of research time. It is not necessary to hire an IECA and Great Schools can be accurate tool when evaluating school demographics. Beyond school demographics, the test score area doesn’t indicate what students were tested. The special programs the school offers may impact the scores (gifted, ELL, learning services) and not paint an accurate picture of the education occurring in that school. I have also found many of the parent reviews to be dated and not reflecting the current administration.