Personal school search
Know which schools to apply to, and why.
We research schools around your children, your budget and your move, ask admissions teams about your intended start date, and give you clear recommendations, explained in writing, so you can decide with confidence.
US$499 per family · One-time fee
Start my personal school searchTell us your destination and your children's ages. You'll review the service and the price before you pay, securely on our platform.
A named adviser you speak with directly
Your recommendations within 7 working days of your consultation and complete brief
Any destination, worldwide
What you get for your money
Not a longer list of schools — a clear view of which ones fit, what they charge and whether they have room.
The right fit for each child
Every child is looked at individually, then across the family — so you are not quietly compromising one child's needs to keep the logistics simple.
Fees and availability, checked with admissions
We put your children's specifics to admissions teams and report what comes back: fees, year groups and the position for your intended start date. Confirmed answers and enquiries still waiting for a reply are always shown apart.
The practical trade-offs, spelled out
Curriculum, commute, class size, language support, timing — what each option actually costs you in practice, including the things a prospectus never covers.
Clear recommendations, explained in writing
Recommended schools with the reasoning written down, suitable alternatives where they exist, and the next steps to take — so you can act on it rather than reopen the research.
Example: the reasoning for one recommendation
- Why it could fit
- British curriculum, strong Year 4 pastoral support, 15 minutes from the area you are considering.
- The trade-off
- Fees are above your stated range for the older child, and the current Year 4 class is close to capacity.
- Confirmed
- Year-group placement for both children, and the fees for the year you asked about.
- Still being checked
- Whether an August start is possible for the older child.
- Suggested next step
- Register interest now, and keep the second recommendation open until the reply arrives.
Fictional example, for illustration only. It does not show a real school, real availability or a completed search.
Meet your personal school search advisor
Patrick Heiberg
Founder of InternationalSchools.org · Father of two · Living abroad
Building InternationalSchools.org has given me an extensive personal network across international schools worldwide. As a parent living abroad, I also understand how much this decision matters.
You’ll work directly with me. I combine those connections with focused research to create a shortlist around your children, your budget and your plans, with clear reasons for each recommendation, honest trade-offs and practical next steps.
What your adviser does
Three steps. One named adviser. A clear plan for your family.
Tell us about your family
Share your destination, each child's age and year group, curriculum preferences, budget and intended start date. Then discuss your priorities in a 30-minute consultation with your named adviser. One brief covers all the children named in it.
We research your options
Your adviser assesses suitable schools for each child and contacts relevant admissions teams about the questions that matter to your search, within the agreed service scope.
Know where to apply — and why
Receive three recommended schools plus up to two suitable alternatives, with written reasoning for each child and clear next steps. Discuss the recommendations in a 30-minute review call, with follow-up questions answered for 30 days.
What is included, and who it is for
The scope is written down, so nothing is left to interpretation.
Included for US$499
- One agreed destination anywhere in the world, and every child named in your brief
- A 30-minute consultation with your named adviser
- A written shortlist: 3 recommended schools, plus up to 2 alternatives where suitable
- If fewer than three schools genuinely fit your brief, we explain why and present the options that do
- Written reasoning explaining the fit for each child
- Up to 8 admissions teams contacted on your behalf
- One 30-minute review call after your shortlist arrives
- Your shortlist within 7 working days, counted from your consultation and your complete brief
- Written questions on the agreed search answered for 30 days, replies within 2 working days
- We show you how to arrange school visits; we do not book or attend them
- Applications, assessments and admissions decisions stay with you and the school
This is for you if
- You cannot visit yet, and the school names all look much the same from the outside
- Your children need different things — ages, year groups, languages, learning support
- You want to know what a school charges, and whether it has room for your start date, before you invest time in it
- You and your partner want to decide from the same clear picture, written down
- You would rather not carry this judgement alone
What we can and cannot promise
Schools control their own admissions. We are honest about where our work ends.
What your adviser does
- Gets to know your family in a consultation
- Researches the schools that fit your brief, in your destination
- Contacts admissions teams to clarify availability, fees and next steps
- Recommends schools with clear reasoning, and talks the options through with you
What we do not do
- Guarantee admission to any school
- Guarantee that a place will be available when you apply
- Influence any school's admissions decision
- Complete applications, sit assessments or book school visits for you
Every school decides who it admits, on its own terms and its own timetable. Our work is research, outreach and judgement, not a placement service.
Questions families ask
Decide where to apply, with someone beside you
A consultation, research, outreach to admissions teams, and clear recommendations you can act on.
US$499 per family · One-time fee
Start my personal school searchTell us your destination and your children's ages. You'll review the service and the price before you pay, securely on our platform.
Is your employer paying for your move?
We arrange school-search support for employers and organisations. Ask us for a quote you can share with HR. For employers & organisations.
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Last reviewed: September 2026
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