College Counseling News

by Allison Luhrs, College Counselor

Sometimes students look at their most involved peers and feel as though, by comparison, they haven’t “done much” during their high school years. One of the goals of last night’s Junior Work Party was to help them see that they really have been involved in an awful lot, from playing an instrument to participating in a club, theatre production, sport, outdoor adventure, or service opportunity—to name only a few of the many things our students do when they’re not in class. In learning how to construct resumes that reflect their various endeavors in and out of school, students got a head start on their college applications, which ask for a comprehensive description of extracurricular activities. Their resume will be helpful when they apply for a job, and it enables them to begin reflecting on which of their many activities have been most impactful; this is the kind of thinking students need to begin in preparation for the application essay and college interviews. Furthermore, our Writing Coaches (Allison Luhrs and Elena Olsen) rely on the resumes students create as they draft the counselor letters of recommendation that accompany each student’s college applications.

Aside from working on their resumes and chowing down on pizza, juniors also expanded their list of prospective colleges. Counselors were on hand to suggest schools that fit their criteria and to help research schools. All juniors and their families have now met with Bart Gummere and their Process Coach (Matt Delaney, Sam Uzwack, or Kelly Violette) and have begun exploring the kinds of schools, geographic locations, and class sizes that most interest them. Now students are working toward a list of 15-20 colleges they’ll research and tour (at least virtually) in preparation for the spring family meetings, which begin in late April.