VOL. I · 2026–2027

Secondary School Admissions

"Admission is the outcome — growth is the work."

Boarding and day school placement across the United States and Canada — for students of Indian origin pursuing world-class secondary education. We do not measure ourselves by acceptance letters alone. Our work is to help students discover their direction, build independent judgment, and let admission become the natural result of genuine growth.

01 — OUR PROMISE

Six Commitments to Each Family

Limited Enrollment

By design — ten students a year.

Skill Sync accepts only ten secondary school students per cohort. Secondary school admissions are recommendation-driven, and a counselor's advocacy at any single school stretches only so far. Over-enrolling would mean our own students competing against one another for the same seats — the last thing a serious counselor would let happen.

01

A PhD-Trained Counselor with Insider Academic Authority

Mohan Karkada (MS, PhD, FAGE) brings 30+ years inside North American academia — Senior Staff Scientist at Harvard Wyss Institute, Adjunct Professor at Dalhousie, McGill postdoc — and a first-hand understanding of how admissions committees actually read files. He advises on strategy and well-being together, a combination most consultancies must outsource.

02

Founder-Led Team · From First Call to Matriculation

Mohan serves as Project Director for every family, personally owning the strategy and maintaining the closest relationship with each student. Essay coaches, former admissions officers, and skills-training specialists are deployed at precisely the right moments under his direction. Parents always communicate with Mohan.

03

Direct Counsel from Current & Former Admissions Officers

Our admissions officer team includes current and former officers from leading boarding and day schools across the US and Canada. They contribute insider perspective, file-level review, mock interviews, and strategic recalibration — fully included in the Foundation Package, never sold separately.

04

End-to-End Application Support

Essay coaching, interview preparation, recommendation strategy, application portal submission — every step handled by the same counselor. No handoff gaps between specialists, no narrative drift between drafts.

05

A Defined Response Standard

Email and WhatsApp replies within 24 hours on weekdays. During the two weeks before deadlines, response time tightens to 12 hours. Families never wonder if their message was received.

06

Transparent Pricing · 14-Day Full Refund

Every potential cost is itemized in this guide. Once the Foundation Package is signed, prices do not change unless the family elects an optional add-on. If you are not satisfied within 14 days of your first session, we refund in full.

02 — SERVICE DETAIL

The Counselor's Work

A · Direct Counselor Support

Mohan Karkada personally manages each engagement from initial assessment through matriculation, covering the full 8–10 month application cycle.

01

Initial Assessment & Strategy

Comprehensive review of academic record, capabilities, and interests; in-depth conversation with parents to define direction and target school profile.

02

School Selection & Visit Coordination

A ten-school target list (Reach / Match / Safety) calibrated to the student's profile, drawn from leading boarding & day schools in the US and Canada; accompanied campus visits in greater Boston / Halifax (three included), and out-of-area visit coordination.

03

Student Application Essay Coaching

Coaching across all student-written application essays — from personal essay to school-specific supplements and short answers. Theme development, structure, and multi-round revision to final draft.

04

Parent Statement Coaching

Helping Indian-origin parents draft their portion, then refining bilingually with cultural calibration and strategic positioning. The most underestimated yet most influential component of a private school application.

05

Activities List & Application Materials

Refining activity descriptions and tightening overall narrative coherence so every part of the application reinforces the others.

06

Student Interview Preparation

Mock interviews with Zoom and Vericant playback analysis, targeted feedback, common-question rehearsal, and presentation and composure coaching.

07

Parent Interview Support

On-site accompaniment with bilingual interpretation (Hindi / Punjabi / Kannada / English); pre-interview cultural alignment to ensure the family's narrative complements the student's application.

08

Recommendation Letter Strategy

Recommender selection guidance, framework prompts to help recommenders write effectively, and submission tracking.

09

Application Portal Operations

Filing and document upload across US (SAO / Gateway / Ravenna) and Canadian school-specific platforms; SSS NCC submission for international families; deadline and material verification.

10

Ongoing Family Communication

Scheduled strategy meetings, real-time progress updates, and decision support at every fork in the road.

11

Psychological Support & First-Semester Liaison

Continuous attention to student emotional well-being throughout the application season; first-semester post-matriculation support including teacher communication, GPA tracking, and academic management. Subsequent semesters available as an add-on — please enquire.

12

Post-Admission Support

1-on-1 interpretation of admission, rejection, and waitlist outcomes; final school selection guidance; matriculation preparation; I-20 (US) / Study Permit (Canada) and visa coordination.

B · The Admissions Officer's View

Direct counsel from current & former admissions officers at leading US and Canadian boarding and day schools — first-hand authority on admissions standards. Fully included in the Foundation Package.

·

Application File Review

Reading the complete application from an admissions officer's lens — essays, activities, academic record, recommendations — identifying strengths and surfacing details to refine.

·

Mock Interview & Feedback

Officer-conducted one-on-one mock interviews scoring delivery, individuality, and follow-up — feedback the student can apply directly in real interviews.

·

Inside-the-Office Insight

Sharing target schools' admission preferences, cultural ethos, and recent trends not publicly known — sharpening selection and positioning judgment.

·

Strategy Refinement

Restructuring narrative arc, material rhythm, school list balance, and interview talking points — strengthening the application's competitive case.

01

Counselor Drafts

Mohan Sets the Foundation

Mohan works with the student to shape the story, draft the school list, and produce first-pass essays and materials.

02

Officer Reviews

An Insider's Read

A senior admissions officer reviews each component as a real reader would, flagging what's underplayed, overplayed, or missing.

03

Joint Strategy

Final Calibration

Counselor and officer reconcile the school list, essays, and interview plan — and walk the student through the final round of polish before submission.

03 — PRICING

Investment in Growth

Skill Sync secondary school applications follow a Foundation Package + Pre-Application Advisory structure. The Foundation Package covers a complete application cycle (~8–10 months); families wishing to begin earlier may add semesters of advisory engagement.

Entry Step · Fully Creditable Within 6 Months

Initial Assessment + School Recommendation Report

  • 120-minute deep evaluation (1 hr with parents, 1 hr with student)
  • Written report with 8–10 target school recommendations (US & Canada)
  • Standardized testing path advice (SSAT / ISEE)
  • Application readiness diagnostic
  • Fully creditable toward full enrollment within 6 months
$1,500
Optional
Foundation + 2 Semesters of Advisory
One Year Early
Please enquire
Includes 2 semesters of pre-application engagement (extended advisory)
  • Everything in the Foundation Package
  • Academic planning · Activity supervision
  • Regular meetings · Family communication
  • Longer runway to develop the student's profile
For Long-Term Planning Families
Foundation + 4 Semesters of Advisory
Two Years Early
Please enquire
Includes 4 semesters of pre-application engagement (extended advisory)
  • Everything in the Foundation Package
  • Extended growth-stage planning
  • Full eighth-grade through application support
  • Multi-year competition / summer program guidance

All three tiers include the complete counselor application service and current / former admissions officer consultation. The only variable is engagement duration.

Pre-Application Advisory includes academic planning, activity supervision, regular meetings, and family communication; available on request.

Schools beyond the included ten are available on request.

Growth Support Courses · Optional Add-Ons

Project-Based Learning · 20 hrs / roundPlease enquire
Skills Development · 10 hrs / roundPlease enquire

Signed clients receive the discounted rate; course content is identical at both prices.

04 — ADD-ONS

Hourly & Specialized Services

For families with focused, specific needs.

i. Single-School Application

For families with one or two firmly chosen schools, focused on completing the application.

One-school complete application (incl. officer)Please enquire
Each additional schoolPlease enquire

ii. Hourly Packages

For specific needs, short-term support, or families evaluating a full project. Direct counselor service.

Single-hour consultationPlease enquire
10-hour packagePlease enquire
20-hour packagePlease enquire
30-hour packagePlease enquire
40-hour packagePlease enquire
60-hour packagePlease enquire

iii. Specialized Services

For families with a clear direction seeking professional support at specific milestones.

Strategic School Research Report (3–5 pp/school + 3-year roadmap)Please enquire
Waitlist & Late Admission Support (1 school)Please enquire
Family Liaison & Academic Management (Sem. 2 onward)Please enquire
Academic Companion · 1-on-1 (16 hrs / month)Please enquire
Test & Subject 1-on-1 Tutoring (SSAT · ISEE · TOEFL · IELTS · Math · English · Writing)Please enquire

iv. School Liaison & Visit Coordination

For international families navigating cultural and language differences.

Greater Boston / Halifax liaison & accompanied visits (3 schools)Please enquire
Out-of-area visitsPlease enquire

Payment & Consultation — Full programs are billed in milestone installments; hourly packages are paid up front, with unused balances refundable on review. Initial consultation (1 hour) is complimentary.

Admission is the outcome — growth is the work.

Our relationship doesn't end at the acceptance letter. Skill Sync stays with each family long after the application season — from summer programs and gap-year guidance to the future undergraduate pathway, F-1 / Study Permit support, and trusted Boston / Halifax-area resources for housing and care.

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