Dr. Sarah McMillan, Ed.D., is a globally recognized leader in educational planning and developmental psychology, serving as co-leader of McMillan Education’s international practice alongside her husband, Don. With over 30 years of experience as an educator, administrator, and psychologist, Sarah oversees and mentors a team of expert educational consultants who guide families and students from more than 65 countries through the complex landscape of international English-speaking university and boarding school admissions.
Sarah’s international expertise is deeply informed by her years living and working in France, where she became fluent in French and immersed herself in European education. Now based part-time in France, she regularly travels throughout Europe, the UK, Switzerland, Canada, and the US to stay current with global admissions trends and to cultivate relationships with families and educational leaders. This global perspective shapes her supervision of McMillan Education’s team, ensuring their guidance is culturally attuned and grounded in the latest developments across international education systems.
Before co-leading McMillan Education, Sarah held senior leadership and teaching roles at top US schools and universities, including Upper School Head at The Fay School, Director of Studies and Dean of Students at Boston University Academy, and English Chair at St. Mark’s School. Her background in developmental and counseling psychology informs the firm’s student-centered philosophy and the professional development she provides to her team, equipping them to support students with a wide range of educational and developmental needs.
Sarah holds a doctorate in developmental and counseling psychology from Boston University, a master’s from Boston College, and a bachelor’s from Colby College. She is a sought-after international speaker on student mental health, educational planning, learning differences, and school-based counseling. Sarah’s passion for global education and her commitment to the professional growth of her team ensure that every family benefits from the highest standards of expertise and care.
Sarah and her husband, Don, both speak French fluently and spend considerable time at their home in Nîmes. Their now adult sons have provided Sarah and Don ample direct experience as parents of independent day and boarding school students and as parents of a recruited collegiate student-athlete and an Army ROTC cadet who went on to commission as a US Army field artillery officer and, ultimately, to become a combat veteran of the Iraq War. They now have the privilege of working alongside their son Noah and niece Samantha, who play critical roles in domestic and international planning in this family-owned business. Along with their constant canine companion and McMillan Education’s Chief Happiness Officer Crash, you can find Sarah and Don enjoying a hike in the hills and ravines of beautiful southern France or a stroll on the beach in southern Maine. When not working, taking long walks with her pup among the Roman ruins of southern France or binge watching French crime mysteries, Sarah is an avid reader of history and philosophy, and an old-warrior athlete who keeps trying to ignore the aging process.
Clinical Faculty, Undergraduate & Graduate Instructor, Clinical Supervisor, Academic Dean, Dean of Student Life, English Department Chair, English & History Teacher, Coach of field hockey, swimming & tennis, Dorm Head
Ed.D., Developmental & Counseling Psychology
M.A., American Studies
B.A., English
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