When should we hire an educational consultant?

Ideally, 1–2 years before making decisions about private school, boarding school, or college. This allows time for exploration, campus visits, and applications without stress. We also support families in urgent situations needing immediate guidance.

Is educational consulting only for wealthy families?

No. While it's an investment, it prevents costly mistakes like choosing the wrong school, which can cost $20,000–$60,000 per year. We work with families across income levels and offer flexible payment plans.

Can you guarantee my child will get into a specific school?

No. Admission decisions are made by schools, not consultants. We provide guidance to maximize acceptance at schools that are a strong fit, focusing on where your child will thrive.

Do you only work with gifted or high-achieving students?

Absolutely not. We work with all students, especially those with learning differences or non-traditional profiles. Many of our most rewarding placements are for students who don't fit standard molds.

Will you attend IEP meetings with us?

Yes. We can attend as your advocate, helping ensure your child receives appropriate services. Many families find our presence improves meeting outcomes and school responsiveness.

Specialty Services

Independent educational consulting

Strategic guidance for school placement, college admissions, and educational advocacy. Unbiased, expert guidance through every educational transition — from preschool to college and beyond.

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We're not selling a specific school or program. We're finding the right fit for YOUR child. Since 2000, Northside Tutoring has helped thousands of students achieve academic success. Our Independent Educational Consultants bring decades of combined experience to help families navigate complex educational decisions with confidence.

With Northside Educational Consulting You Can Expect

Expert guidance rooted in deep knowledge

Schools, learning differences, and child development.

Personalized school matches

Strategic planning

Advocacy support

What Is an Independent Educational Consultant?

An Independent Educational Consultant helps families make personalized, informed decisions about their child's education. Unlike school counselors or prestige-focused admissions consultants, IECs offer individualized, unbiased guidance based on what truly fits each student.

They take time to understand the whole child, specialize in learning differences like ADHD, dyslexia, and anxiety, and provide long-term planning from preschool through college. IECs also advocate for families navigating IEPs, 504 plans, or school challenges.

Our Services

Six pillars of consulting

01 /

Private School Placement (K-12)

Assess each child's strengths, needs, and learning style, aligning them with family priorities. Services include tailored school lists, campus visits, application guidance, interview prep, and advocacy with admissions offices. Special expertise with students who have learning differences, are twice-exceptional, or are new to Atlanta.

02 /

Boarding School Placement

Match students to boarding schools that fit academically, socially, and emotionally. Services include assessing readiness, advising on academics and culture, test prep, applications, interviews, financial aid, and transition support — across traditional, therapeutic, learning-difference, junior, and post-graduate programs.

03 /

College Admissions Consulting

Personalized college guidance for students with unique profiles. We review transcripts and testing, explore interests and goals, and create customized college lists. Help with essays, resumes, interviews, recommendations, financial aid, waitlists, deferrals, and enrollment decisions.

04 /

Special Ed Advocacy & IEP/504 Support

Navigate IEPs, 504 plans, and special education processes with confidence. Review existing plans, prepare for meetings, attend as advocates, help with disputes, and coordinate with outside providers. Guide families through transitions between schools.

05 /

Educational Planning & Strategy

Long-term planning for academic success and college readiness. Course planning, extracurricular strategy, summer programs, gap years, post-college planning, transfer support, and homeschool-to-school transitions.

06 /

School Transition Support

Help students adjust to key transitions — elementary to middle, middle to high, high school to college, mid-year school changes, re-entry after therapeutic programs or gap years, and international school moves.

Our Consulting Process

We start with a 90–120 minute consultation to review your child's academics, social-emotional development, learning style, goals, and family priorities. Next, we may conduct deeper assessments — reviewing records, speaking with your child, or recommending additional evaluations. We then create a strategic plan with customized school or college lists, timelines, application strategies, and financial considerations.

Throughout the process, we provide ongoing support — coordinating visits, guiding applications, and advising on decisions. After placement, we continue with transition support, advocacy, and long-term guidance to ensure your child thrives.

IEC vs. School Counselor

School counselors are valuable but serve many students at once, have limited time, and must focus on their school's priorities. Independent Educational Consultants work with far fewer families — giving individualized attention, deep expertise in learning differences, and strategic guidance tailored to each child.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Northside Tutoring

Make educational decisions with confidence.

Schedule a free consultation and we will walk through your child's needs and goals together.