College Counseling

Parents of ninth-graders are introduced to the college counseling program at an informational coffee in the fall. In the spring, parents and caregivers attend a college night led by the deans of college counseling. Students are encouraged to build strong habits for their time at the Upper School and lay the foundation for the type of citizen they want to be throughout and beyond high school. We encourage ninth-grade students to focus their attention on creating strong relationships with community members, developing resilient mindsets and exploring their interests.

The focus of college counseling in the 10th-grade year is continuing to set the groundwork for college by helping students make balanced and smart choices for course selections and activities. The college counselors offer presentations to students and parents in the fall, and each sophomore is assigned a college counselor in early February. Other hallmarks of the 10th-grade year include practice SAT and ACT diagnostic tests.

All 10th-graders meet with Lori Reade, our career development counselor, who helps them think critically about who they are and what makes them happy — leading to the self-awareness that helps them home in on their interests, both academic and extracurricular.

The college process gains momentum in the 11th-grade year as each student has plentiful opportunities to meet with their assigned counselor, attend information presentations on a variety of college topics, work on self-presentation skills with their advisor, and take the PSAT.

Juniors are introduced to the Common Application via a Common App Bootcamp event in the spring. Eleventh-grade English classes also include a Common App essay-writing unit. Juniors finish the year with an essay draft and a college list that includes likelihoods of admission.

Students and parents have a fall  conference with their assigned college counselor early in the school year. Students and counselors spend a great deal of time together during the fall as students complete the application process — finalizing a balanced list of colleges and universities, getting feedback on essays, and finalizing other application materials.

College counselors continue to help seniors navigate the admissions process throughout the year as they make their final decisions— then it's time to celebrate!