Every Student Has a
Story Worth Telling
Let's discover it, develop it, and make it count. From the first spark of curiosity to college applications and finding the right school, we help families make educational decisions with purpose and confidence.
Don't Build a Checklist
Build a Story
Students are more than grades, test scores, and activities. The strongest educational path begins with understanding what makes each student curious, capable, and distinct—and helping those qualities grow into real experiences and opportunities.
Understand The Student
Explore interests, strengths, goals, learning needs, and the environments where a student thrives.
Create a Purposeful Path
Build experiences, choose opportunities, and make informed decisions that reflect the individual.
Move Forward with Confidence
Tell an authentic story, find the right fit, and take the next step with clarity.
How we help
Guidance for every important turning point.
Whether your student is discovering a direction, applying to college, or needs a different educational setting, there's a path forward.
Services
StoryBuilders Lab™
What makes your student unique? What sparks their curiosity? And how can those interests become meaningful experiences that make their college application stand out?
StoryBuilders Lab is a creative, interactive five-week workshop for students in grades 8–11 and their parents. Together, families discover how everyday interests can become extraordinary opportunities.
Through engaging conversations, creative exercises, and hands-on activities, students uncover their strengths, connect their interests, and develop exciting ideas for projects and experiences that reflect who they are.
Rather than collecting extracurricular activities just to impress colleges, students learn to take initiative, contribute to others, create impact, and build a story that's authentically theirs.
From Curiosity to Action
By the end of five weeks, each student leaves with a personalized 12-Month StoryBuilder Roadmap™—a practical plan for turning interests into meaningful activities, projects, and accomplishments.
A Shared Adventure for Students and Parents
Families learn together through five weekly, 75-minute live Zoom sessions. Students attend all five sessions with at least one parent. Parents are welcome to alternate weeks!
Students gain confidence, direction, and a plan for taking action. Parents discover new ways to recognize and encourage their child's potential.
Because standout college applications aren't created in senior year. They're built through the experiences students live along the way.
Application Fast Track™
Five-Week Bootcamp. Expert Guidance. A Stronger Common App. College applications don't have to mean stress, confusion, and last-minute panic!
Application Fast Track (AFT) is a five-week, live-on-Zoom bootcamp that helps college-bound seniors become organized, confident, and application-ready.
In a collaborative, interactive group environment, students receive expert, step-by-step guidance to:
Tell Their Story: Develop a compelling, authentic Common App personal statement.
Showcase Their Strengths: Highlight accomplishments, leadership, extracurricular activities, and impact.
Tackle Supplemental Essays: Learn strategies for effective college-specific responses.
Master the Common App: Complete essential application sections accurately and strategically.
Stay on Track: Follow weekly assignments, progress checks, and clear deadlines.
Each two-hour session combines hands-on instruction, practical strategies, and accountability to help students make meaningful progress.
Students who attend all five sessions and complete their assignments will be positioned to submit polished, competitive applications ahead of early admission deadlines, including applicable merit scholarship deadlines.
And parents? You can stop asking, "Have you finished your applications yet?"
Don't just complete the Common App. Make every part of it count!
Five Weeks | 10 Hours | Live on Zoom | Expert-Led Small Group
Register for Application Fast Track today!
School Choice & Placement
The Right School. The Right Fit. The Right Foundation for Learning. How do you know which school is truly right for your child? Is it the school's reputation, academic rigor, or college placement record? While these factors matter, the most important question is: Where will your child feel understood, supported, challenged, and inspired to thrive?
At Barbara Leventhal Educational Consulting, we work closely with families to make choosing a school a more personal, informed, and less overwhelming experience.
We start by getting to know your child—their strengths, interests, learning style, personality, and aspirations. We also listen to your family's priorities, educational values, and hopes for your child's future.
Together, we explore independent day schools and boarding schools locally, across the United States, and internationally. We look beyond rankings to find schools where your child can grow academically, socially, and personally.
How can we help your family?
Understand your child's unique needs and goals.
Identify schools that align with your child's strengths and your family's priorities.
Compare academic programs, school culture, student support, and extracurricular opportunities.
Prepare for applications, interviews, and school visits.
Evaluate admission offers and make confident enrollment decisions.
Help your child prepare for a smooth transition into a new school community.
Whether you're choosing an elementary school, considering a middle school change, or exploring boarding school, we're here to guide you every step of the way.
Our goal isn't simply to help your child get into a great school. It's to help your family find the school where your child truly belongs.
Comprehensive Application Plan
One Student. One Family. One Personalized Path to College Success. Have you ever wondered what makes your child stand out—and how the right college can help them thrive? What are their dreams, interests, and strengths? And how can we help them turn those qualities into a college application that truly stands out?
At Barbara Leventhal Educational Consulting, we believe no two students are alike, and their college admissions journeys shouldn't be either.
Our Comprehensive College Planning program offers personalized, one-on-one guidance tailored to your child's strengths, interests, aspirations, and your family's goals.
Starting as early as ninth grade, we work closely with you and your child to build a thoughtful roadmap for high school and college admissions. Together, we explore academic opportunities, meaningful extracurricular activities, potential majors, and career interests while helping your child discover what makes them distinctive.
As application season approaches, we're here to guide your family through every step—from building a balanced college list and crafting authentic essays to presenting accomplishments effectively, managing applications, and evaluating admissions offers.
Throughout the process, you'll have a trusted advisor who provides personalized feedback, strategic guidance, and ongoing support as your child grows and their goals evolve.
Our goal isn't simply to help your child get into college. It's to help them discover their potential, make purposeful choices, and find colleges where they can thrive academically, socially, and personally.
Because the best college admissions strategy doesn't begin with a checklist. It begins with understanding your child.
Therapeutic School Placement
Compassionate Guidance. Individualized Placement. Continued Support. When someone you love is struggling, finding the right support can feel overwhelming. You want to know they're in a safe, supportive environment where they can receive the care they need, continue learning, and build a path toward a brighter future. But where do you begin?
At Barbara Leventhal Educational Consulting, we understand that every individual has unique needs, and every family's journey is different. We're here to help you explore your options and make informed decisions with greater confidence and peace of mind.
We work closely with families to identify therapeutic placements that align with their loved one's emotional, behavioral, social, and educational needs, as well as their strengths and long-term goals.
Together, we explore therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment programs, specialized educational settings, and other supportive environments. We carefully consider each program's therapeutic approach, clinical services, educational opportunities, staff expertise, family involvement, and overall suitability.
Our support doesn't end when a placement is made.
We continue working with families to monitor progress, maintain communication with program professionals, assess whether the placement remains appropriate, and prepare for transitions to the next stage of life.
Throughout this process, you'll have a trusted resource to help you navigate difficult decisions and advocate for your loved one's needs.
Our goal isn't simply to find a placement. It's to help your loved one find an environment where healing, growth, and lasting progress are possible.
Let's Find the Right Path Forward
You don't have to navigate this journey alone. Schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your family's needs, explore potential options, and learn how our personalized placement and follow-up services can help.
Educational Expert Witness
Independent Analysis. Informed Recommendations. The Child's Best Interests.
When parents disagree about where their child should attend school during a divorce or custody proceeding, how can attorneys determine which educational environment best meets the child's needs?
These decisions can be complex, with important implications for a child's academic progress, social-emotional well-being, and future opportunities. Attorneys need more than competing opinions. They need objective, well-researched educational insight to help evaluate the available options.
At Barbara Leventhal Educational Consulting, we work with divorce and family law attorneys to provide independent educational assessments and comparative school placement evaluations.
We take the time to understand each child's academic abilities, learning needs, educational history, social-emotional development, and individual circumstances. We then evaluate potential school placements—including public, private, and specialized educational settings—to assess how well each option aligns with the child's needs.
Our analysis considers curriculum, academic rigor, instructional approaches, learning support services, class size, school culture, extracurricular opportunities, and each school's capacity to support the child's educational growth.
How can we support your case?
Our services include educational record reviews, comparative school assessments, written expert reports, consultation with legal counsel, and expert testimony in depositions and court proceedings.
Our role is to bring educational expertise, objectivity, and clarity to complex placement disputes, helping attorneys evaluate the evidence and develop well-supported recommendations.
Because at the center of every school placement decision is a child whose educational needs and best interests deserve careful consideration.
Meet Barbara Leventhal
Experience. Insight. Creativity.
An eye for what makes each student special.
Barbara Leventhal brings decades of experience in independent school leadership, admissions, educational programming, and personalized student guidance. Her approach combines a school leader's understanding of fit with a storyteller's ability to uncover what makes each student distinctive.
She works with families navigating the full educational journey—from school selection through college admission—and provides specialized educational consulting in complex placement matters.
Every parent takes pride in the special qualities of their children.
My role is to help define those qualities and channel them in unique ways
to tell a compelling story for admission".
- Barbara Leventhal
My student is in eighth, ninth, or tenth grade. Is it too early?
Not at all. StoryBuilders Lab is a five-week, live Zoom group workshop, with 75-minute sessions for students and parents together. Families explore interests, develop initiative, and build depth over time. Each student attends all five sessions with at least one parent; parents may take turns attending from week to week.
What's the difference between Fast Track and comprehensive advising?
Application Fast Track is a five-week live Zoom bootcamp for students applying through the Common App. The $20,000 Comprehensive Application Plan is a one-on-one boutique service with broader, individualized guidance on strategy, academics, activities, college selection, and applications.
Do you help with schools other than colleges?
Yes. We advise families exploring local independent schools, boarding schools, and specialized therapeutic school placement.
Can attorneys inquire about expert witness services?
Yes. Use the consultation form and select Educational Expert Witness to describe the matter briefly. Please avoid sending confidential case documents through the initial inquiry.
Your student's next chapter starts with a conversation.
Tell us a little about your family and the guidance you're looking for.
We'll help identify the right next step.
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