A major forte at an independent school such as Oak Knoll is the bespoke nature of its college counseling program. Smaller class sizes, lower faculty to student ratios, and individualized learning allow students to be known and honored for their unique abilities and personalities. At Oak Knoll, this enables our college counseling team to tailor a highly personal approach to researching and applying to universities which is introduced to freshman and sophomore parents each year at our College Counseling Roadmap — a late Spring session for families of ninth and tenth graders that offers the following expert advice for gradually navigating school visits, applications, interviews, and acceptances.
Embrace the opportunity for self-reflection
During their high school years, students are learning so much about themselves — especially during the ninth and tenth grade. During these first years of high school, avoid focusing too much on the end goal or where your student might land in college. Instead, think of these as years where a student is learning about her academic and extracurricular strengths and passions so that when it comes time to begin the college admission process, she has that foundation set upon which she can continue to build. Ninth and tenth grade are the best years to simply explore high school and build on academic strengths and interests.
Oak Knoll’s college counseling process is one that prepares students in a thoughtful and age-appropriate manner and encourages self-exploration as a prerequisite to decision-making. Students don’t officially begin this process until they are in their junior year. This is purposeful at Oak Knoll because students should not spend the entirety of their high school experience thinking about college. As students progress through their later high school years, they will learn how their strengths and interests might impact their preferences regarding what programs they are interested in, where they want to live during their college years, and what skillsets they may need to grow to ensure success in that environment.
Allow your student autonomy within the context of school and family guidance
Choosing an appropriate fit for college might be the first big decision your child has ever made. Allow them the opportunity to ask themselves big questions and explore their gut feelings. Students should be centered in this process as they exercise independence and self-advocacy — which will nurture the confidence they need to succeed on their own in college. Along the way, the college counselors will partner with parents/caregivers to support students and guide them in making healthy and informed choices.
Partner with your college counseling team to reduce stress
Naturally, the college application process can be stressful, but it is also an incredibly rewarding time that should also be filled with joy. The Oak Knoll College Counseling Office has designed a program in which students have plenty of time to engage in each step of the way so that no one feels rushed or caught off-guard by any piece of the process.
Students and parents are encouraged to take advantage of events and information sessions hosted by the college counselors and look for ongoing communication about the process as it becomes available. These events then lead to one-on-one counseling for students and families during which time a personalized application list and plan will be crafted and modified along the way.
Casual exposure to college campuses can be very helpful
Well before the official campus visits and interviews are scheduled for a student’s preferred colleges, ninth and tenth grades offer the opportunity for casual campus exploration. If you are traveling or visiting family or friends, or just happen to be taking a road trip and passing a college campus make an impromptu visit.
This helps students get a sense of the variety of campus-life experiences. Might they like a rural town or a rural area feel? Might they like a city campus? How big might feel too big? How small might feel too small? Casual exposure and speaking about university life in more general terms prior to official campus visits can be very helpful. These casual campus tours can also be accomplished online easily, thanks to the plethora of virtual tours created during the pandemic.
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For more information on Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child’s College Counseling program, visit our website where you can learn more about the college search process, view the Oak Knoll School Profile, and see college matriculation information for graduates from 2018 to 2022.