As a college preparatory school, we believe:

• The path to college does not need to be fraught with anxiety

• There are many excellent institutions of higher education, and our goal is to help our students find their fit

• In educating students and their families about the college process

• In providing guidance for students to make informed decisions  

• High school, college admissions, and college are just a few parts of life's marathon

• Each of our students is more than a college acceptance

• Students can learn about themselves as part of the college admissions process

Welcome to College Planning! 

Freshman and Sophomore families, please check out the SCOIR Checklist for guidance.

Juniors...congratulations, you've arrived! This year marks one of the busiest and most important times of your school career, requiring planning and production from you to launch onto the next stage of your life’s journey. My goal is to make this an insightful, fun, and explorative time for you. Sure, there will be some stressful moments (go ahead and pencil that in for next summer with essay writing), but you’ll get through it. I promise. And this website will help you with information, resources, and tips to help you stay prepared and on track. 

Why is Junior year so important? Here are a few big reasons:

• Transcripts: Junior year’s transcript will go to colleges if you apply Early Action or Early Decision. So keep up those grades (and keep down the absences and tardies).

• College research: Now's the time to become familiar with the schools to which you’ll apply. Get on the road now visiting colleges. Can't travel? That's okay! Get on their email lists (read them, click on the links--yes they track it) and watch their online tours.

• Activities: Deepen and develop your activities and leadership to give you something tangible to show off in your application.

An Important Word on Self-Advocacy

Colleges love to hear from your teachers and counselors about how independent you are and how prepared you are for leaving home. What does this mean?

• Questions about the college process should come from you, not your parents. 

• Contacting the colleges and setting up tours should be done by you, not your parents. 

• Making appointments with the college counseling office should come from you, not your parents.

With that in mind, let me know how I can best support you. Keep an eye on dates and times in the Upper School Work Room when we can chat, colleges that are coming to visit, and off-campus information sessions by colleges (both online and in person). You can always make an appointment with Ms. Liz through your Google Calendar.

When to Hire an Independent Educational Consultant

If your parent(s) read the section above, "An Important Word on Self-Advocacy" and have heart palpitations thinking about letting you do this on your own, it might be best for them to reach out to an Independent Educational Consultant (IECs). IECs are welcome to connect with Ms. Liz; after all, we all have the same goal: to get you into your best-fit college.

Having said that, we offer frequent meetings throughout the summer before senior year to keep your parents in the loop. The number one thing to keep in mind is that we will support and guide you through this process.

That’s it for now. I look forward to working with you during this exciting time!

Let's do this!

Ms. Liz