Testimonials

“Our sons loved working with Carol!! She was recommended to us from a neuropsychologist who said Carol was one of the best regarded consultants in Boston.

Identifying the ideal educational environment for our two sons was a daunting task. We had a first grader and a fifth grader, who are unique from each other. Our approach was to find the best professional and empower them to determine the best environment for each of our children. Carol Kinlan was that person. After a search that included interviews with over 25 consultants, Carol came highly recommended by national thought leaders in education.

The placement process was an artfully curated experience where Carol quickly identified our needs and connected us with experts in her network including OG tutors, test prep coaches, and other consultants to ensure a successful outcome. Concurrently, she created a space where schools got to know our sons and our values, and we learned about the schools, their values, and what the environment would be like. Her approach was comprehensive and communication was frequent, thorough, and candid. During the application process, our sons and ourselves were completely prepared for the timeline, interviews, and testing. The end result was successful acceptance to 100% of the schools where we applied, despite being in the middle of a pandemic!

We’ve already refereed Carol to numerous friends and will continue to do so. We look forward to working with her again as our sons transition from elementary to middle, and middle to high.”

— Kelly and Mike Hogan, Arlington, MA. Sons currently attend the Carroll School and the Fenn School.

"Carol was terrific --and, very knowledgeable in helping us find a secondary school for our son. She was able to carefully interpret his testing and recommend the best school environment for him. After he was accepted, she collaborated with us and the school to ensure he would receive the best support."

— Father from Cohasset, MA; 9th grade boy heading to Eagle Hill School (Fall 2021)

"Thank you SO much for all your help, Carol! Having a thoughtful and highly experienced intermediary like you coach Delia through the whole college application process (especially in the pandemic craziness) was so helpful – and stress-relieving for all of us!! "

— Mother from Boston; high school senior who will attending Notre Dame (Fall 2021)

“Carol's experience was invaluable to us as we navigated the college search with our son.From helping to develop the college list to outlining support levels by college Carol was open, honest, professional, and direct, and it was clear she thoroughly enjoyed working with our son.”

— Mother from Newton, MA; senior at local private school will be attending Lynn University (Fall 2021)

"Carol is the quintessential professional. Kind, thoughtful, knowledgeable, compassionate, and professional. "

— MaryLou McDounough, President, Educational Consultants of Boston

“Carol was invaluable in helping my two sons find the right secondary schools. My wife and I wanted a consultant who intimately knew the New England private school landscape, their admission teams and their acceptance standards so that our process would be efficient and successful. Moreover, we were drawn to Carol given that she is extremely warm, balanced and insightful. She is a tireless worker, a great communicator and appropriately inspiring. She set tight timelines, provided the proper level of input on their essays, and thought strategically each step of the way. Her knowledge of standardized tests and familiarity with the variety of adolescent mental health issues and accommodations were a huge plus. The mock school interviews that she administered helped our sons do a fantastic job. With Carol’s help, our sons were accepted to nearly all of the schools they applied to. We would highly recommend Carol to any family seeking a top educational consultant and a great person that is easy to work with! My wife and I look forward to working again with Carol in the future.”

— Father from Metrowest area; sons matriculated to Loomis Chaffee School and Concord Academy (2021). "

"We hired Carol to help our daughter during her senior year in high school. She needed a consultant to help her with the entire college process as she was also considering a gap year. Our daughter had struggled with learning challenges and anxiety and wasn't sure which path might be best. After meeting our daughter, Carol recommended staying the course for college and developed a very tight timeline and plan for when and how the applications, interviews, etc. would be completed. Carol also discussed the specific academic support she should request prior to starting college. Our daughter was really inspired by Carol's belief in her and her ongoing encouragement. In the end, our daughter got into all the colleges she applied to and will be attending American University this fall! I would highly recommend Carol!"

— Mother from Wayland Mass. whose daughter is attending American University (Fall 2021)

"I highly recommend Carol! After completing community college, my son wanted to attend a strong, four-year college. Carol worked successfully with him on all aspects of the transfer process, including: developing a comprehensive college list, editing support for numerous essays, and advising on how to stand out with admission teams. He was accepted to almost all the colleges he applied to and will be attending Boston University this fall! Thank you, Carol, for all your help."

— Mother from Wellesley, MA; transfer student; son will be attending Boston University (Fall 2021)

“Upon commencing the journey of searching for boarding school options for my teenage daughter, I was wisely recommended to the consultant services of Carol. The experience was a positive game-changer for our family - daughter and parents. Of particular note - the recommendation came from the admissions director of a well-respected school in the Northeast.

Her familiarity with the academic and social challenges of a teenager with ADHD and anxiety allowed for an accelerated familiarity, which made for optimal use of everyone's time. Through several phone calls, and the sharing of school records, followed by an in-depth meeting with our daughter, Carol was able to help us narrow our search based on our needs and the offerings of schools in the NE area. This process provided comfort and confidence for all of us -nevermind the time it saved.

With her introductions, we approached our targeted list with specificity and defined intentions as we went about the process of bi-lateral interviewing - our daughter felt prepared, and as parents, we were equally prepped on what to look for, the questions to ask, and the areas to focus upon in our visits.

The experience culminated with a terrific match: equally excited student, parents and school. Plus - parental anxiety levels were very well managed based on her confident coaching.”

— Stephen Cohen of Barrington, R.I. Daughter attending Cushing Academy as a mid-year transferes here

“When looking for a school for our 4-year-old to begin her educational journey, my husband and I felt overwhelmed by just how complex the process can be for children as young as our daughter. As a former teacher, it was very important to me to find a school that was the right fit for our family and felt in line with my pedagogical philosophy. Carol asked us insightful questions. She took the time to really listen and understand what we were looking for in a school. She simplified the the process and made us feel less anxious. In the end, we found a wonderful school for my daughter that I don’t think we would have considered without her help. Finding the right school can feel a bit like dating and Carol is a brilliant matchmaker. She listened intently when some of the schools we were initially excited about didn’t meet our expectations and she encouraged us when we found a school that felt just right. We are all so thrilled about our admissions outcome and most importantly, we know the school we’ve chosen will be a wonderful fit for our daughter.”

Belmont Day School Parents