College Advising Timeline
College Advising Timeline
Click on your current grade to see the schedule to prepare for college admission:
College Advisor/Student Partnership
The College Advisor Student Partnership is an important one. Saint Dominic Academy’s College Advisor works collaboratively with faculty and staff to support the entire senior class. The college search should be a student-centered process. To support it, I strive to form a relationship with each student and their family. My work respects the goals, requirements, and limitations that each student brings to the process and then tailors their college search and application process to support them through an experience that can foster growth and build life skills. As students reflect on their own interests, strengths, and weaknesses, college advisor help them to form a plan that is both aspirational and realistic, and, following our clearly articulated timeline, they complete the process over the course of their senior year. For this partnership to thrive, certain expectations exist for each partner.
Students should:
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Communicate with their college advisor, scheduling and attending individual meetings, attending group meetings, reading and responding to emails, and monitoring email for important announcements.
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Complete the tasks assigned on or before the deadline, for example, the Junior & Senior Surveys which provide the college advisor with important information.
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Notify their college advisor if there are special considerations in their candidacy, for example, Athletic Recruitment.
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Identify two appropriate teachers to ask for recommendations and then complete the steps required to request the recommendation and invite the teachers to their application process.
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Maintain an accurate COLLEGE LIST on their Naviance account.
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Turn in forms and paperwork as required.
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Keep college advisor informed of college decisions and any changes in plans.
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In turn, the College Advisor has their own responsibilities.
The College Advisor will:
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Maintain clear communication with students and families. Updating each at critical points in the process (June and November updates, copying parents and advisors on some communications and announcements and emails/phone calls as necessary).
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Help students define their college search criteria and provide resources and support in selecting an appropriate balance college list.
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Advocate for each student by writing an effective and informed School Statement (based in part on information collected from both student and parent/guardian questionnaires), collecting required supporting school documents, submitting documents to each college listed on the student’s COLLEGE LIST which they control on their Naviance account.
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Assist with the financial aid process as necessary and appropriate and advise students on possible merit scholarship opportunities.
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Follow up with colleges over the course of the winter in order to confirm applications and advocate for students where the opportunities exist.
Honesty and Integrity in the college process. Considering the Varsity Blues scandal that consumed so much media attention in 2019, it is worth noting how important it is for all partners in this process to maintain the highest ethical standards. As such, students are expected to represent their achievements and activities honestly. They are expected to do their own work whether completing applications or testing. Before any applications are submitted, each student will meet with the college advisor to review their applications. While the college advisor is not an “editor” they will offer suggestions and note errors they see. Suggestions are offered to help students write the most effective applications possible. Believing as we do that each student has their own “story” we want to work with them to help them tell it well. In turn, college advisors will represent students honestly and present Saint Dominic Academy information accurately.
Resources:
- College Advisor
- Student Services Administrator/Registrar
- Teachers/Coaches
- Naviance
- College Advising library, posters, brochures, email, workshops, and announcements
Excellent reading on the college process:
The Truth about College Admission by Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark,
Admit One, Writing your way into the best colleges by Thomas Richards,
Sending your Millennial to College, A Parent’s Guide to Supporting College Success by John Bader,
Dear Parents, A Field Guide for College Preparation by Jon McGee