May 2021: Junior Update

The college counseling team enjoyed seeing the juniors during their second college counseling meetings.  In addition, by the end of the school year the college counseling team will have met with all of the juniors in their English classes for their college application workshop.  All juniors will go into the summer with a draft of a college essay which has been reviewed by their English teacher and their college counselor.

In addition, all juniors met in seminars to start their Common Application.  How can you help your child with their applications?  The Common App has a section that asks for parent biographical information and education information.  Offer to sit with your child to help him or her fill out that section of the application.

Looking for something to do?  Many colleges have created virtual visits and virtual admissions sessions.  Naviance Student has added a “Virtual Visit” tab for colleges that have virtual visits.  Virtual visits are a really nice way to virtually walk around and get a feel for campuses. 

All juniors should complete the Biography for Counselor Recommendation in Naviance Student (Home → About me → Surveys → Surveys not started) by June 1 and should, before the end of the academic year, ask at least one, preferably two junior year teachers to write letters of recommendation for them.  Remember to enter those teachers into Naviance and to follow up with the Teacher Recommendation Request Form located in the Student Documents folder in Naviance.

Parents who have not  completed the Parent Perspective should do so as soon as possible and send it via email to Laurie Duguay at l.duguay@severnschool.com.

We were happy to offer the juniors an opportunity to take both the SAT and the ACT on campus in April.  Once students receive their scores they can speak with Mr. Brunk or Mrs. Coughlin about a testing plan or whether they need to test further.

The college application process can be both lengthy and challenging and parents naturally want to be involved and helpful in the process.  Applying to college is an important part of your child’s education and their first steps toward adulthood and independence.  Allow your child to take ownership of the process while offering them support, where needed.  There are some positive ways that parents can be involved in the process.  Parents can invite collaboration by helping to plan visits to colleges that your child wants to learn more about and by assisting them with the timelines for the visits.  Parents can also share information about colleges they have learned about that they think might be a good fit for their child, but should be careful to not be demanding about pursuing that college.  Parents can serve as the operations and logistics manager, helping to keep track of deadlines, submitting payments, sending test scores and offering support where needed in the application process. Finally, parents can and should have an honest conversation with your child about money. Your child should understand college affordability and your family’s ability and willingness to pay for their education.  This information should help guide the application process.  Not addressing this issue can lead to a lot of disappointment and wasted time and energy later in the process. 

There are also a few things parents should NOT do in the process. Parents should never complete a college application or write a college essay for their child or contact a college pretending they are the student. Doing these things is not only unethical, it denies your child the opportunity to learn and to be independent.  Be careful not to talk about the application process constantly.  The process can be very stressful for your child and feeling like they are going to be constantly bombarded with college application talk can be uncomfortable and fatiguing.  Although you may be thinking about their college essay at 7 am on a Monday, chances are that your child is more focused on the math test first period that day or the English paper due later in the week. Consider scheduling a weekly appointment to sit down and talk about colleges with your child. Setting aside a dedicated time to talk about college or work on applications allows your child the freedom to concentrate on other things during the school week and the focus to talk about college during that time. It also makes them feel safe from being “ambushed” with college talk when they aren’t expecting it. Be wary of “talking college” at the dinner table where younger siblings may feel left out.  Take the “we” out of the conversation.  Your child is applying to college, not you.  Let them be in the driver’s seat and take responsibility for the process.  After all, college dorms don’t come with family suites.  Finally, avoid labeling colleges as “good” or “bad”.  Focus on whether a college is a good fit for your child, not on the perceived prestige of a school.  Regardless of the acceptance rate or the noteworthiness of a school, ultimately you want your child to find a place where they will be happy and productive for the next four years and will ultimately find a home, good friends and a start to their future.

“In almost 25 years of experience as a high school guidance counselor, a regional college representative, and a private college counselor, I have noted the kinds of things that make the college process productive, successful, and enjoyable. I have worked with so many students who have blossomed in part due to their college search and application process. It can be a period of maturation and of self-exploration, with an honest assessment of skills and interests, development of task organization and discipline, renewed intrafamily communication, and travel to interesting cities and small college towns. I firmly believe when the journey to college is fully embraced, it can truly be loved.”― Jill Madenberg, Love the Journey to College: Guidance from an Admissions Consultant and Her Daughter