The college counseling process begins in sophomore year, when our students take the PLAN Test, the practice test for the ACT that many will take in their junior or senior year. 

In the fall of junior year, parents and students are invited to attend College Night, where the dean of admission from a college joins our college counselors to share some thoughts about the college admission process.  Parents and juniors are encouraged to begin to visit colleges, and all juniors take the PSATs in October. 

By spring of junior year, students and parents will have met with one of our college counselors to begin to develop a college list, with schools they might visit over spring break or in the summer between junior and senior year.

The senior year involves winnowing the college list to identify those schools that seem to be the best match for each student.  Our counselors help make determinations about applying early decision or early action, ways to seek financial aid, how to review the high school transcript, and the many other decisions that go into the process.  Katy and Jennifer, both of whom have many years of experience with colleges, truly “counsel” with each family through this process. 

Each senior has accomplishments at Prep and tries to convey aspects of personality, ambition, and interest.  As well, seniors work in the fall English classes to explore possible college essay topics and refine their writing skills in personal narrative.