Directory

ACES is an admission consulting and educational service firm, advising and supporting families navigating the independent and boarding school admission processes. Rooted in transparency, ACES is dedicated to providing families with intentional guidance allowing families the potential to access an independent school education that best serves the child and family. Established as a valuable admission knowledge hub for families, ACES delivers compassionate, thoughtful professional service. The three pillars of ACES are knowledge, access, and relationships. Our goal is to deliver exceptional service to all families and spread independent school awareness amongst families who are new to the admission process. At ACES our mission is to provide knowledge so that our families may gain access.

The Admissions Plan is a dedicated team of top NYC private school educational consultants offering services to help families navigate the admissions process. Whether families are looking for schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Riverdale, Westchester, Connecticut, or New Jersey, their expert advice will demystify this process, and their guidance will facilitate organization, calm, and confidence throughout the admissions season.

Navigating the school admissions process without an advocate can feel daunting and overwhelming. Admit NY provides expert guidance every step of the way - developing a comprehensive strategy, managing timelines and deadlines, and offering support throughout the entire journey. Admit NY is a boutique team of School Admissions Experts who work with families applying to schools from nursery through high school. By intentionally limiting the number of families Admit NY supports each admissions season, they're able to provide the individualized attention and tailored approach each family deserves.

The Bertram Group celebrates each candidate as a unique individual. Through comprehensive interviews and in-depth research, TBG discerns a student’s strengths, needs, and goals. Going beyond academics, they consider the whole of a child’s personality: goals, values, athletics, interests in the arts and community service, social skills, and anything else that is a priority for the candidate.

The School and Child Care Search Service provides expertise and guidance for current members of the Columbia community as they explore early education, child care, or K-12 schooling options. 

Early Steps is a hands-on non-profit organization. The sole mission is to promote racial diversity within New York City independent schools. They accomplish this by increasing the enrollment of children of color beginning at the kindergarten and first grade levels. At Early Steps, families, children and schools are treated with honesty and respect as they strive to find the best independent school setting for each child. Early Steps school advisors are both professional and compassionate. They are trusted by schools and families alike to balance the needs of both parties, always with an eye on what’s best for each child.

Brad Hoffman and Faya Hoffman — a husband-and-wife team, former classroom teachers, Learning Specialists and the only Board Certified Educational Planners (Educational Consultants) in New York City at the PreK-12 level — are uniquely triple designated by AICEP and IECA for mainstream, specialized, and therapeutic school placements as well as college counseling. Their expertise spans day schools and boarding schools, both nationally and internationally. 

In 2009, they founded My Learning Springboard, a boutique multidisciplinary educational consulting firm and Learning Concierge ® service offering a wide range of educational services at every level from PreK through college. These services include: 1) School Planning and Admissions Consulting, 2) Private Tutoring, and 3) Standardized Test Preparation. Their integrated model allows for modular, flexible, and hourly consultation to maximize flexibility for families.

New Age Prep is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting high-achieving students from underserved communities in gaining admission to private schools. Their mission is to cultivate well-rounded students through diverse extracurricular activities and immersive academic enrichments programs. By providing comprehensive preparation for admissions and life at private high schools, New Age Prep strives to unlock the full potential of these promising students, enabling them to reach their personal best and achieve academic excellence.

With expertise in PreK-college public and independent (private) schools, NYC Admissions Solutions supports families through the entire school admissions process. This can include strategies for applying to elite high schools, including the specialized high schools that require the SHSAT, developing a personalized plan of action with step by step guidance, evaluating public vs. private schools, developing a list of schools appropriate for your child, preparing for interviews, submitting a stronger application or appeal, and preparing a comprehensive strategy to maximize your school options and the chances of success.

The Oliver Scholars Program prepares high-achieving Black and Latinx students from underserved New York City communities for success at top independent high schools and prestigious colleges. They provide crucial support for both the scholars and their families so they can realize their full potential and ultimately give back to the city, the nation, and the world. Oliver Scholars: 

• Provides skills, strategies, and resources for students to navigate the independent school admissions process, including the SSAT exam.

• Prepares scholars for high school by equipping them with the academic and social tools that ensure success in independent school environments.

• Fosters a sense of community among cohorts with leadership activities, community building opportunities, and service projects.

• Provides guidance and support to Scholars in high school and college.

As the public face of private education in New York — and the only nonprofit of its kind — Parents League is a collaborative community of expert educators, schools, health and wellness specialists, community based organizations, and volunteers in New York and beyond. With advisory services and resources, PLNY empowers families as they navigate their children's growth milestones, personal development and educational journey.

Since 1978, Prep for Prep has identified New York City’s most promising students and prepared them for success at independent schools throughout the Northeast. Once placed, Prep for Prep also supports students' academic and personal growth through college.

Since its founding in 2001, Smart City Kids (SCK) has successfully guided families with expertise and sensitivity through the complexities of applying to schools. The mission of SCK is to be a village for all things education related, whether working with families to define their priorities and identify the educational profile for their student or partnering with schools and other organizations in support of their mission-driven goals.
Advisors work with students from nursery school through college, including special education and relocating families. As the leading admissions consulting group in its city, SCK collaborates closely with its clientele to reduce the stress of the admissions experience and to empower learners and their families with agency during the process of selecting a right fit educational program.

TEAK is a free program that helps talented students from low-income families achieve their potential. Through intensive after school and summer classes, TEAK prepares middle school students to get into the nation’s most selective high schools and colleges. TEAK’s robust support system ensures that students thrive in their independent (day and boarding) high schools and graduate from college, ready to pursue their professional goals and positively impact the world.