Communication is key!

Do not assume anything, or rely on information you may hear from other parents. When in doubt, contact your student's counselor.

Discuss post-high school planning with your student. Assist them with researching different options and be sure to talk about the factors that may impact choices like size, location, and cost. Be honest about your expectations and financial situation.

Keep perspective. There is no one perfect college for your student. Help them create a healthy college list with schools that are a good fit financially, academically, and socially.

Try to set aside time to discuss college-related topics. Don't make it the only thing you talk about each day. Sometimes they need a break from all of the college talk.

Allow your students to take ownership of the process. Let them reach out to schools for information and speak with their counselor. Encourage self-advocacy.

Be aware of your student's emotional needs. It can be a stressful time for everyone.

Help facilitate college visits when possible.

Encourage your junior or senior to sign up for college visits in school. Information is posted in Naviance and throughout the school. This can be a great way to learn about a school without visiting and make contact with admissions representatives.

Help your student develop an organizational system. They should be leading the process from beginning to end, but they may need your support. Creating a document to keep track of usernames and passwords, deadlines and "to-do" items can be helpful.

The Counseling Department needs a minimum of 15 days to process your student's applications. Your student has a guide with all transcript request dates and deadlines.

We require a copy of the Transcript Release Form with your signature in order to process your student's applications. This is posted on the website as well as in your student's google classroom.

Many students and parents worry about the order that materials are received by a college admissions office. THIS DOES NOT MATTER. Materials from different places (test scores, teacher/counselor recs, transcripts) will arrive at different times. A file is created for each student and materials will be added to this file as they arrive.

Supplemental materials like teacher recommendations will be sent on time. DO NOT reach out to teachers or have students "check in" on the status of recommendations. Every time a student does this, it takes time away from teachers being able to complete the materials needed.

Similarly, when a college receives an application an email is often sent with an access code to a portal which allows them to track their admission status. This system informs a student whether the application is complete, incomplete, in review, or if a decision has been made. Many colleges automate their communication about missing material. If your student gets these messages and the counseling office has indicated that they have sent your student's materials DO NOT PANIC!! This is completely normal. It is very likely that the materials have not yet been processed. It is common for this to take 2 weeks for a school to acknowledge receipt. Wait at least 2 weeks before reaching out to the school to confirm.

For students with an IEP, you must reach out to special services to have your student's records released. The Counseling Department does not have access to these files. Typically, you will not need these records until after you have committed to a college and reached out to their disability services office.