About me

I founded Spruce Advisors so I could focus on what I love most: working directly with families to help them make thoughtful, confident educational decisions for their children. My expertise spans independent schools of all levels—preschool through high school—both locally in the Bay Area and at national boarding schools.

Based in San Francisco, I bring nearly three decades of experience as a Director of Admission, High School Placement Counselor, English teacher, marketer, and parent of two independent school students. I know that applying to schools can feel overwhelming—there are many options, and the process can be complex. My goal is to simplify the journey, tailoring each step to reflect a family’s values and priorities while always keeping a child’s needs at the center.

I have taught and worked at some of the country’s leading independent schools, including Miss Porter’s School, Marin Country Day School, and Cathedral School for Boys, spanning day and boarding, single-gender and co-ed, urban and suburban, and secular and religiously affiliated programs. I have consulted for several Bay Area independent schools, helped lead the development of a virtual Shared Assessment for kindergarten applicants during the pandemic, and presented at regional and national Admission conferences. I am a professional 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, then at Katherine Delmar Burke’s School, and later at Greenhills School in Michigan. I studied English and Art History at Bowdoin College, earned a Master’s in English Literature from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English (completing coursework at Oxford University and Columbia University), and a Master’s in Private School Leadership from Columbia University’s Klingenstein Program. I also hold a Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting. I currently serve as a trustee at The Sterne School and previously served on the Bay Area Directors of Admission (BADA) board.

What Clients Are Saying

  • PARENT, URBAN SCHOOL

    “Tara provided our family with support for every angle of the San Francisco high school application process. Her experience as an admissions director and as a parent are both clear in how she approached the process. She not only guided us as parents through the process, she also was a mentor and an advocate for our daughter. Tara made her feel safe, listened to, and gave her valuable feedback on her essays which allowed our daughter to grow as a writer. We are thrilled with the outcome and it's all due to Tara's knowledge of the process and her ability to tune into our family’s needs.”

  • KATHERINE DINH, HEAD OF SCHOOL, MARIN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

    “I called Tara in summer of 2023 to consult with Marin Country Day School for a consulting project, and she was an amazing partner from beginning to end. Tara was organized, thorough, very responsive and communicative, and completed her work with such impeccable professionalism. Besides her strong interpersonal and project-management skills, Tara's deep experience with independent schools and the network she's developed over more than two decades were the extra value-add that she brought to the table. She spoke our language and was absolutely brilliant to work with. I would highly recommend her to anyone who needs consulting on any aspect of independent school admissions.”

  • MASHARIKA, PARENT

    “I've loved every single ounce of your approach to making the adults and kiddos in this process feel seen and heard.”

  • GABRIELLA, PARENT

    “I have loved working with you, from the very first zoom that we attended. You have brought so much kindness and grace to what can be such a hectic process.”

  • JACK, PARENT

    “Our experience with your admissions process, philosophy, and welcoming spirit prompted us to consider independent schools in the first place. We have the deepest respect for your craft.”

  • ARTHUR, PARENT

    “You are the most insightful admissions resource we met. There is a level of diligence to details that you bring unlike anyone else.”

  • KRISTEN, PARENT

    “You ran an organized, personalized, attentive, and thorough admissions process”

Chat with Tara

It begins with a conversation. Let’s be real.