Connect with one of our expert Placement Partners.
Our Team
Director of Student Placement
Paul Baly, MA
When Paul landed his first job at a Boarding School, he was inspired by the way in which Independent Schools invest in student’s overall development, utilizing relationships to help children thrive. Serving in senior leadership and teaching roles in day, boarding, rural, suburban, and metropolitan schools ranging from 200 to 1300 students, Paul has worked for the past 25 years in Independent Schools. Most recently Paul served as the Middle School Director at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan and prior to that as the Middle School Head at the Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, NJ. He prides himself on building sustainable teams and rich, student-centered educational programs. Regardless of the school, market, or challenge, Paul has worked closely with advancement teams to measurably improve enrollment and advancement outcomes through increased marketing, branding, and communications strategies and partnered with Boards to lead effective strategic planning processes.
It was Paul’s work as the Middle School Head at two K-8 schools where he found his passion for the process of connecting students and families with independent schools. Having helped counsel families with children in kindergarten, middle, and high school as well as college admissions processes, Paul believes that the admissions' process itself is a profound educational experience, not only a means to an end. When a family reflects on its values, a child’s unique talents and passions, and the various and distinct school characteristics, their child has the best opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. Throughout his career, Paul leveraged his extensive knowledge of independent schools along with his experience working with children and families to help place students in some of the most competitive and dynamic schools in the New York City area.
Paul holds an undergraduate degree from Roanoke College, a Masters in English from the University of South Carolina, and a Masters Degree in Private School Leadership from Columbia University. Paul's three children have all attended Independent Schools.
Placement Partner
Tucker Hastings, MA
Tucker is a 20+ year teacher and administrator in boarding and day schools, spending the last eighteen years at Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT. Tucker served in a variety of roles at Brunswick, including Dean of Admission of the Upper School where he achieved year-to-year growth in inquiries and applications and learned how applicants and families can best distinguish themselves in the admission process. As Dean of Student Life and, most recently, as Academic Dean, Tucker worked with students and parents so that they could successfully navigate the academic as well as the social and relational components of a student’s high school years.
As a consultant, Tucker brings years of experience working with students and families with a deep knowledge of the admissions office process.
A graduate of Deerfield Academy and Bowdoin College, Tucker holds a master’s degree from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College at Columbia University.
Tucker’s career in independent schools began after a teaching fellowship in Clermont-Ferrand, France. In addition to school leadership responsibilities, he has always been a teacher, teaching French at all levels including AP. Tucker and his wife live in Greenwich; they have three children who attend Brunswick and Greenwich Academy.
Placement Partner
James Ramsdell, MA
James joins The Gowan Group with a quarter century of experience in independent schools. Growing up as a “fac-brat”, he has witnessed firsthand the importance of finding the right school for each student. A strong communicator and writer, his passion for working with students and their families has led him to a varied and distinguished career that continues today.
A student of independent education himself, James began his career as a 3rd grade intern in Bedford, NY. In his 24 years at schools, he has served as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, assistant division head, and director of admission for two middle schools including his alma mater Fay School. Additional educational experiences include teaching at the Deep Creek Middle School in Eleuthera as part of the Island School program and tutoring at The African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In addition to his work as a school consultant at Gowan, James is also the Director of Business Development for FindingSchool. FS is the largest data platform in the world for international families who are searching for information about independent schools in the United States and Canada. He directly works with over 160 partner boarding schools and is fortunate enough to visit over 40 campuses a year.
James ran away from the winters in Massachusetts to Rollins College in Florida where he earned a degree in English, captained the sailing team, and spent a year abroad in Australia. In 2000, he returned to his studies at The University of Virginia where he earned a master’s in education. James is married to a director of college counseling at a Boston area prep school and has two busy sons who attend a Boston independent school. When not on a school campus or coaching his sons, he is often found creating a bbq feast for the neighborhood or trying to tire out his active yellow lab, Grizzly.