I founded Spruce Advisors, a School Admissions Consultancy, so I could spend more time doing what I enjoy the most: work directly with families to support and help them make educational decisions for children. My expertise is with independent school at all ages—preschool to high school—locally in the Bay Area and national boarding schools. Based in San Francisco, I draw upon nearly three decades of experience as a Director of Admission, High School Placement Counselor, middle and high school English teacher, a marketer, and the parent of two independent school students.  

I recognize that applying to schools can be overwhelming, even more so than when you or I applied to college. There are many options out there and the process can be complicated and time-consuming. I work with each family to find an approach that aligns with and respects family values and priorities, and most importantly, keeps a child’s needs as the center of the relationship.

After an early career in marketing in New York City and Boston, I taught at a variety of independent schools: day and boarding, single-gender and co-ed, urban and suburban, and secular and religiously affiliated, on both the east and west coasts, and ranging from K-8 to K-12 and high school. I taught English and Art History at Miss Porter’s School and 8th grade English at Marin Country Day School. During graduate school I interned at The Dalton School and later served as Humanities curriculum coach at The San Francisco School. For the past decade I served as a 7th/8th grade English teacher, High School Placement Counselor, and Director of Admission at Cathedral School for Boys.

As Director of Admission, I supported families through the Admission process with understanding and empathy. I served as the San Francisco board representative to the Bay Area Directors of Admission (BADA) and helped lead the development of a virtual Shared Assessment for kindergarten applicants during the pandemic. I have presented at national and regional Admission conferences. I am an associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).

My own education began in San Francisco at Peter’s Place and Lone Mountain Children’s Center. I attended Katherine Delmar Burke’s School and then, after my family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, Greenhills School. At Bowdoin College, I majored in English, minored in Art History, and lettered in varsity field hockey. I earned a Master’s in English Literature from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English, completing my studies at Oxford University and Columbia University. I earned a second Master’s in Private School Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University’s Klingenstein Program. I am a trustee at The Sterne School and am activelAs a lifelong learner and someone deeply committed to ensuring I am always up on the latest research and ideas, I am currently completing a certificate in Independent Educational Consulting through UC Irvine.