Private School Consulting

$6,000.00$10,000.00

Private School Admissions Consulting

Personalized Strategic Educational Advisory with Joanna Severino

For over 25 years, Joanna Severino has guided ambitious students and families through competitive private and boarding school admissions across North America.

This highly personalized consulting engagement is designed to provide strategic educational positioning, admissions insight, interview preparation, family guidance, and long-term student development.

PREPSKILLS® Private Consulting is intentionally selective. Joanna personally works with only a limited number of consulting families each year to ensure an exceptional level of personalized support, responsiveness, and strategy.

Private consulting engagements are offered on a retainer basis.

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SKU: Private-School-Consulting
Category:

COMPLETING YOUR ENROLMENT

To complete your registration, you will need to complete your administrative enrolment. This process helps us deliver the best experience, save time and builds a meaningful relationship.

Trusted by Families Since 2002

Thousands of students supported across North America
25+ years of educational consulting experience
Founder-led personalized advisory experience
Expertise in private school and boarding school admissions
Trusted guidance for Canadian and U.S. educational pathways
Helping students build confidence, leadership, and long-term success

Limited Advisory Availability

Due to the highly personalized nature of Joanna’s consulting work, availability for new private consulting engagements is limited throughout the year.

Families are encouraged to secure their advisory engagement early, particularly for competitive admissions timelines and top private or boarding school applications.

Once consulting capacity has been reached, additional families may be placed on a waitlist.

Who This Consulting Is Designed For

This consulting engagement is ideal for families who:

Are considering competitive private schools or boarding schools
Want strategic guidance beyond tutoring and test preparation
Value personalized educational planning and long-term student development
Want expert admissions insight and individualized positioning strategies
Seek support with interviews, essays, applications, and school selection
Understand the importance of confidence, communication, leadership, and preparation
Want direct access to an experienced educational strategist throughout the admissions process

What’s Included in the Consulting Engagement

Every consulting engagement is personalized based on the student’s goals, timeline, academic profile, and target schools.

Services may include:

Strategic School Selection & Positioning
Thoughtful guidance on identifying schools that align with the student’s academic strengths, interests, personality, and long-term goals.
Personalized Admissions Roadmap
A tailored admissions strategy outlining timelines, milestones, priorities, and action steps throughout the process.
Parent & Family Advisory
High-level guidance for families navigating competitive educational pathways and admissions decisions.
Student Positioning & Profile Development
Support in helping students identify and communicate their strengths, interests, leadership qualities, and personal narrative.
Interview Preparation
Personalized coaching to help students develop confidence, communication skills, executive presence, and interview readiness.
Application Guidance
Strategic support with applications, essays, supplemental materials, and admissions presentation.
Ongoing Strategic Support
Continued advisory guidance and personalized access throughout the admissions process.

Student & Family Success Stories

Initially I wanted to apply only to UTS. After taking the time to speak to me and my mom, you encouraged me to consider UCC and Crescent too. I was accepted at UTS, Crescent and UCC.
I went through the Prepskills program and with your guidance and consulting, I decided to attend Upper Canada College.
My achievements at UCC have been unique and I am doing quite well academically at the college. I am an avid participant in the various extra-curricular activities that UCC has to offer, including the basketball team and the Soccer team.
I only got these opportunities thanks to you, as I would not even have applied to this school if it weren’t for your advice.

Seyon Rajadurai
Upper Canada College (UCC)

In 2013, my son Leo came to Canada and was in grade 8. Leo attended the Prepskills SSAT program and was admitted to grade 10 at St. Andrew’s College in 2014.
Upon graduation from SAC, he took PREPSKILLS SAT PREP program and was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania where he is currently studying.
I am writing to thank you and your team at PREPSKILLS for all of your efforts in getting my son Leo prepared for admission to private school, and later for admission to a U.S. University.

Gina (Liqiong Xin), Parent
University of Pennsylvania / St. Andrew’s College Family

Our daughter was waitlisted by the 3 JR. private schools that we applied to. Naturally we were concerned about the waitlist process and whether our daughter would get a spot so we contacted Prepskills. After a discussion with Joanna, we had a strategy in place which in the end netted out strong results. Our daughter was offered by 2 of the 3 schools, providing us with options that will help our daughter succeed. Thank you Joanna and Prepskills!

Natalie Venalainen, Parent

My son was accepted to both UCC and Appleby.  Joanna was especially helpful in bringing out his strengths and building his confidence for interviews. Her guidance on the school applications and essays made a big difference, and we felt very supported throughout the process.

Ayesha Mirza, Parent

Finding and selecting the right educational fit for a child can feel overwhelming as a parent. Joanna’s guidance, insight, and strategic advice gave our family clarity and confidence throughout the admissions journey.
Her understanding of schools, student positioning, interviews, and long-term educational planning is exceptional.

PREPSKILLS Parent Family

Schools PREPSKILLS® Students Have Attended

Families supported by Joanna Severino and PREPSKILLS® have gained admission to leading schools across Canada and the United States, including:

  • Upper Canada College
  • University of Toronto Schools
  • St. Andrew’s College
  • Crescent School
  • St. Michael’s College School
  • Branksome Hall
  • Havergal College
  • The Bishop Strachan School
  • St. Clement’s School
  • Appleby College
  • The York School
  • Trinity College School
  • De La Salle College
  • St. George’s School
  • Lower Canada College
  • Ashbury College
  • Mulgrave School
  • West Point Grey Academy
  • Phillips Exeter Academy
  • Phillips Academy Andover
  • Choate Rosemary Hall
  • The Lawrenceville School
  • The Hotchkiss School
  • Montverde Academy
  • North Broward Prep School

And many more leading private and boarding schools across North America.

The PREPSKILLS® Difference

At PREPSKILLS®, we believe admissions success goes far beyond grades and test scores.

Our consulting approach focuses on developing confident, resilient, articulate students who are prepared not only to gain admission — but to thrive academically, socially, and personally.

Joanna’s philosophy emphasizes the development of the “3 Rs” that contribute to long-term success in education and in life:

Structured-Preparation-Systems

Resourcefulness

The ability to think critically, adapt quickly, and solve problems effectively.
Application-Positioning

Resilience

Confidence, grit, perseverance, and the ability to navigate challenges.
Strategic-Advisory-Guidance

Rapport

Strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, mentorship, and relationship-building.

This holistic approach has helped thousands of students and families successfully navigate competitive educational pathways over the past two decades.

About Joanna

Work Directly with Joanna Severino, B.Comm, B.Ed, OCT

Joanna Severino is the Founder & President of PREPSKILLS® and U.S. College Expo, and one of Canada’s most recognized educational consultants and student development strategists.

For over two decades, Joanna has worked with ambitious students and families across North America, helping them navigate competitive private school, boarding school, university, and specialized academic admissions.

Known for her strategic insight, high standards, personalized guidance, and deeply invested approach, Joanna’s consulting extends far beyond academics alone.

Her work focuses on helping students build confidence, communication skills, leadership abilities, emotional intelligence, and long-term success strategies that prepare them for life far beyond the admissions process.

Because of the highly personalized nature of her consulting work, Joanna intentionally limits the number of private consulting families she works with annually.

Educator. Entrepreneur. Mother.

As a mother of three boys who have attended leading private schools, Joanna understands firsthand the pressures, emotions, and high-stakes decisions families face when navigating educational pathways and planning for the future.

Known for her ability to help students maximize opportunity, Joanna is deeply passionate about creating “optionality” — empowering students and families with multiple strong educational choices and pathways for success.

Her philosophy is simple: families should never feel limited by lack of information, preparation, confidence, or strategy.

For many PREPSKILLS® families, the outcome is not simply gaining admission — but having the privilege of choosing between multiple exceptional opportunities. As Joanna often says, “That’s the best problem a family can have.”

Her approach combines strategic insight with genuine care, mentorship, and a long-term investment in student growth and development.

Families often describe Joanna as:

  • insightful,
  • deeply invested,
  • strategic,
  • motivating,
  • results-driven,
  • and highly personalized in her guidance.

Investment

Private consulting engagements are structured on a retainer basis to provide families with ongoing strategic access, continuity, and personalized guidance throughout the admissions process.

Consulting retainers vary based on:

  • admissions timeline,
  • school competitiveness,
  • student profile,
  • family goals,
  • and level of support required.

Consulting engagements are highly personalized, and families work directly with Joanna.

Work with Joanna Severino & PREPSKILLS®

Whether your family is navigating:

  • private school admissions,
  • SSAT or SAT preparation,
  • school-based testing for UTS, UCC, and other competitive schools,
  • U.S. college admissions,
  • Canadian or international school options,
  • study or career pathways in Medicine, Business, STEM, Arts, Athletics, and more,
  • educational planning,
  • or long-term student development,

PREPSKILLS® provides personalized strategic guidance designed to help students maximize opportunities, build confidence, and create meaningful pathways for long-term success.

Through a highly personalized and student-centered approach, Joanna Severino and the PREPSKILLS® team help families navigate important educational decisions with clarity, insight, and confidence.

Limited consulting availability applies.

Gold-star

Secure Personalized Admissions Guidance

Work directly with Joanna Severino through a highly personalized consulting engagement designed to help students strategically navigate competitive private and boarding school admissions.
Limited advisory availability throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time is required?

Joanna works on a retainer basis and each family is unique. This is a highly personalized strategic educational consulting engagement focused on admissions positioning, school selection, applications, interviews, family advisory, and long-term student development.

Does Joanna work directly with families?

Yes. Joanna personally works with consulting families accepted into the program. It’s best to secure the consulting engagement retainer with Joanna 6-12 months in advance.

Do you work with both Canadian and U.S. private schools?

Yes. PREPSKILLS® supports families navigating admissions to private and boarding schools across both Canada and the United States

Is space limited?

Yes. Joanna intentionally limits the number of consulting families accepted annually to ensure a highly personalized experience.

BookStategy-Review-White

Private Consultation with Joanna Severino

This confidential consultation is designed for families seeking personalized guidance regarding private school admissions strategy, educational planning, and student positioning.
Our team will assess fit and availability in securing the consulting engagement retainer. Due to limited advisory capacity, consultation availability may be restricted during peak admissions periods.

Additional information

Consulting

5 hours, 10 hours

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