01.
Getting to know your child
Before I can recommend a single school, I need to understand your child fully. This goes well beyond academic results. I want to know how they learn, whether they thrive with structure or need space for creativity. Whether they are naturally independent or would benefit from a more nurturing environment. What they love, what challenges them, what kind of friendships they form. I sometimes speak directly with the student as well, particularly for older children, because a child who feels heard and involved in this decision is a child who will settle into their new school with confidence and purpose.
02.
Understanding the family
An excellent placement is one that works for everyone — the student, the parents, and the family's broader situation. I want to understand your timeline, your expectations, your priorities around language, curriculum, location, and university ambitions. I also want to understand any particular needs, whether religious, dietary, pastoral, or academic, so that I can be certain the schools I recommend are genuinely prepared to support your child in the way they deserve. Nothing is too small to mention.
03.
School selection
This is where my thirty years of relationships make a genuine difference. I do not work from a list. I draw on decades of personal knowledge of these institutions: their culture, their strengths, their current admissions priorities, and the kind of student who truly thrives within their walls. Based on everything I have learned about your child and your family, I will present a carefully considered selection of schools that I believe are the right fit. Typically this means two to four institutions, chosen with real thought, not a long menu of options, but a small number of genuinely excellent matches.
04.
School visits
I strongly encourage families to visit the schools before any application is made. I accompany you personally where possible, or prepare you thoroughly so that you know exactly what to look for and what questions to ask. A school visit is irreplaceable, it is the moment when a brochure becomes a real place, and when you and your child can feel whether it is truly right. I maintain close personal relationships with admissions directors and senior staff at the schools I work with, which means a visit arranged through me is never a standard tour. It is a genuine introduction.
05.
Application preparation
Once a school or schools have been chosen, I guide the entire application process from beginning to end. This includes preparing and reviewing all documentation, supporting your child through any required assessments or interviews, advising on personal statements and references, and maintaining direct communication with the school's admissions team throughout. I know what these schools are looking for, and I know how to present your child in a way that is truthful, compelling, and complete. My goal is never to manufacture an application, it is to ensure that the school sees your child clearly and fully.
06.
Offer and enrolment
When an offer arrives, I help you understand exactly what it means and what comes next. I advise on acceptance, on any conditions attached to the offer, on deposit timelines, and on the practical steps of enrolment. If more than one offer is received, I help you think through the decision calmly and clearly. This is a significant moment for any family, and I am beside you through it.
07.
Preparation for arrival
An acceptance letter is not the end of my involvement — it is the beginning of a new chapter. In the weeks and months before your child starts school, I help prepare them and you for the transition. This includes practical guidance on what to expect, what to bring, how boarding life works, and how to stay connected as a family during those first weeks. For families who are a to the Swiss school system or to boarding life generally, this preparation makes an enormous difference to how smoothly and happily a child settles in.
08.
Ongoing support
Once your child is at school, I remain available. If questions arise, if concerns develop, if circumstances change — I am here. The families I work with know that my involvement does not end at enrolment. Some of them have been with me for many years, placing more than one child, returning as their family's needs evolve. That continuity of trust is something I value deeply, and something I work every day to deserve.
The entire process, from first conversation to first day of school, typically takes between six and eighteen months depending on the schools chosen and the entry point. The earlier we begin, the more time we have to do this properly — and properly, in my experience, always makes the difference.
