Creating Synergy & Success: The Educational Consultant/Placement Director Partnership

The new admissions cycle is starting up fast and furious, in a good way, although it’s been thought-provoking thus far! Several parents have had an interesting question, more so this year than in prior years. They are pondering a perplexing question: “Is it a ‘bad thing’ to hire an independent educational consultant when our child's school already boasts a dedicated secondary school placement director?”

This query speaks to a growing awareness of the multifaceted support systems available to students embarking on their educational journeys, especially those fortunate to already be enrolled in a private school. As an ethical (and professionally affiliated) educational consultant, I firmly believe that this partnership between independent consultants and school placement directors can be not only beneficial but also highly productive for families navigating the complexities of secondary school placement. Far from being redundant, the collaboration between these two entities offers a unique blend of expertise, resources, and personalized support that can enhance the learning and overall experience for students and parents alike. I also have seen how it can help facilitate an even more informed decision-making process for parents.

Placement directors and independent educational consultants should both be working towards the same goal for the student: finding the best fit and right-fit school for the student! This should be nothing but a collaborative approach, and in my experience when it is, it can be a game-changer for all involved.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately! This week I reached out to two trusted secondary school placement directors who I’ve had the pleasure of working with to get their thoughts as well. Below are some reasons why working in tandem should be a win-win for all involved!

1. Expertise Exchange: Collaboration between independent educational consultants and school placement directors allows for the exchange of expertise, insights, and best practices, enriching both parties' knowledge base.

2. Enhanced Understanding: Working together provides deeper insights into the specific needs, expectations, and dynamics of individual schools, enabling more tailored guidance for clients/students and the families.

3. Access to Resources: Partnering with one another enables access to valuable resources, such as school-specific information, application guidelines, and historical perspective, facilitating a more comprehensive approach to advising the student and family.

4. Creating an Alliance: Building strong relationships with placement directors and educational consultants fosters better communication, clarity and cooperation, which can streamline the application process, create more efficiencies and ensure realistic admission expectations.

5. Holistic Support: By collaborating with placement directors, consultants can provide students with holistic support that addresses academic, extracurricular and social-emotional aspects of their education, ensuring a well-rounded approach to secondary school placement.

6. Insightful Recommendations: Placement directors can offer valuable recommendations and insights based on their internal knowledge of a student’s academic performance, interests, and goals, further enhancing the quality of guidance provided. Likewise, educational consultants may have additional “data” or “heartbeats” that need to be considered in the admissions process too.

7. Divide & Conquer: Many placement directors carry a larger load than some educational consultants. Working in tandem allows for a shared workload and the ability to refine an approach in support of the student that makes the most sense for the school’s placement process and the student/family. The educational consultant is a resource to not just the family but also the placement director, based on their needs and preferences.

8. Professional Development: Partnering together allows both placement directors and educational consultants opportunities for professional development through networking, school tours, learning & sharing of new trends in education, and gaining an expanded understanding of different school environments.

9. Parent Education: Reimagine how you design parent education and your secondary school placement curriculum to support and empower parents and their students! Jointly organizing workshops, seminars, or events with placement directors and educational consultants fosters collaboration and strengthens relationships, benefiting both consultants and schools in providing support to parents.

10. Client Success: Last, and certainly not least, my biggest hope is this one! Ultimately, the collaboration between independent educational consultants and school placement directors is driven by a shared commitment to supporting students' academic and personal growth. With this, our partnership together leads to greater student success and happiness!