Expertise

List of 4 items.

• Freshman Year

  The first year of college preparation focuses on:

  • Helping students integrate themselves into the Upper School, both academically and socially.
  • Aiding students as they explore their approach to studies and pursuit of extracurricular activities. We do this through our classroom experience and a system of academic advising.
  • Supporting and guiding students as they learn to strike a balance in their lives.
  • Introducing standardized testing through the administration of the PSAT-NMSQT test (a practice test for the ACT) as an academic assessment/counseling tool.

• Sophomore Year

  In their second year, sophomore students:
  

  • Develop their writing skills, critical thinking, and test-taking skills – all integral elements in the preparation for college-level work.
  • Take the PSAT-NMSQT test as an introduction to college admission testing.
  • Refine their approach to the standardized tests necessary for successful college placement through teachers’ classroom instruction.

• Junior Year

  During fall semester, juniors:
  
  

  • Meet with the CK College Counseling team to review the Junior Timeline and the standardized testing to be taken during the course of the year.
  • Are advised on and take the PSAT as a qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
  • Attend a workshop about the college application process in order to fully understand the process and the key elements of college admission. This workshop includes a mock admissions committee exercise.
  • Complete the College Counseling Autobiographical Questionnaire, which serves as one of the foundation documents for the initial one-on-one meetings with college counselors the following spring.

  
  During spring semester, juniors:

  • Meet one-on-one with college counselors to develop:
    • A curriculum plan for senior year
    • A testing plan for standardized college admissions testing
    • A working list of colleges to research
    • The skill set necessary to fully and successfully engage the college application process

• Senior Year

  In collaboration with their college counselors, seniors:

  • Finalize their college list.
  • Complete college applications beginning in early September. During this intense time, seniors draw upon the experiences of the past three years to balance the demands of a strong academic program, extracurricular activities, and preparing college applications.
  • Finish taking any remaining standardized tests.

  Senior students work with the following support team as they navigate this challenging transition year:

  • Academic Advisor
  • College Counselor
  • Teachers

  In April, the culmination of four years of preparation occurs when seniors make their final college choices.