BOARDING SCHOOL 360
From exploration to enrollment.
CHARLOTTE • CAROLINAS • NATIONAL
Boarding School Admissions Consulting in Charlotte and Beyond
Personalized, start-to-finish guidance through the entire boarding school admissions process - from a thoughtful school list through applications, essays, interviews, and campus visits. Whether you are just beginning to explore or weighing final decisions, your family moves through it with clarity and confidence.
Our work is led by founder Katie Garrett, a Certified Educational Planner (CEP), Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and Charlotte Regional Chapter Chair. Based in Charlotte, we work with families across the Carolinas and throughout the United States, in person and virtually.
Grades 6 to 12. Support tailored to your student's strengths, goals, and needs.
THE BOARDING SCHOOL PROCESS
Three phases, one
calendar
Phase 1
Explore
We get to know your student, shape the list, and get you on campus
Initial consultation
Review submitted materials, discuss SSAT testing, and talk through desired school qualities.
School list
We compile a list around your student’s interests, strengths, and needs for the family to review.
School visits and campus tours
Once the list is set, families plan travel; we contact each school to announce you as a GEC client.
Applicant interview
On campus, in town, or by Zoom or phone - with preparation and coaching beforehand.
Meeting with parents
We bring parents into the process as partners from the start.
Phase 2
Apply
Applications, essays, testing, and recommendations - kept in order and on schedule.
Application
Managed across the SAO and, where applicable, Gateway platforms.
Essays
Student statements, developed in our offices with guidance throughout.
Testing
SSAT Flex Test (if needed)
Teacher recommendations
English and math, guidance on requests.
Phase 3
Decide
Decisions arrive, revisits happen, and we help you choose with a clear head.
Decision letters
Released mid-March.
Revisit days
Return to the schools that said yes, this time as an admitted family.
Considering your options
Weigh fit alongside merit awards and financial aid.
Final decision
Due by mid-April. We help you land on the right school.
Transcript and supplements
Current-school transcript, supplemental materials, portfolios, and a graded writing sample.
Application deadlines
Most schools fall mid-January and mid-February. We backward-plan from there.
WHAT WE DO
Hands-on at every step.
1. Welcome and Orientation
Once you sign on, you receive a welcome email with instructions for setting up your accounts and gathering the materials we need. In our first meeting, we review everything, discuss SSAT testing, and talk through the qualities that matter: size, location, cost, curriculum, athletics, single-sex versus co-ed, extracurriculars, religious affiliation, dress code, and more.
2. School lists and visits
We take your student’s materials and interests and build a list for the family to review. Once it is finalized around the schools of highest interest, families make travel plans to visit campus. We contact each school on your behalf once your dates and admissions appointments are set.
3. Interview Prep
Students sit for an interview with admissions at each school they apply to. We prepare them for the questions they may encounter, help craft their answers, and coach them on dress and presentation in the admissions office - including how to handle a virtual interview on Zoom.
4. Personal Statements and supplemental essays
Using techniques developed over more than 20 years, we help students identify essay topics and give them work time in our offices - an environment built for getting it done. We also guide parents through their own statements, answering what to include and what to leave out.
5. Engagement with schools
Throughout the process, we stay in touch with the schools you are applying to, confirming application status and next steps so nothing slips.
PACKAGES
Same Service. Matched
to your list.
Every package delivers the same comprehensive support and the full set of covered services below. Which one fits depends on the application platforms the schools on your list use - not on a level of service.
EVERY PACKAGE INCLUDES
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Initial meeting
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School visit follow-up discussion
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Essay editing
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School list development
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Essay development
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Application review
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School visit scheduling
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Essay work sessions
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School outreach
* Gateway Application Schools Include:
Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy, Groton School, The Hill School, The Hotchkiss School, Phillips Academy Andover, Phillips Exeter Academy, St. Paul's School, The Thacher School