New faces, same student-centered approach in Sanford’s College Counseling Department

New faces, same student-centered approach in Sanford’s College Counseling Department

In its more than 90 years of operation, 100% of Sanford students have been accepted to college.

This success is largely driven by Sanford’s personalized educational philosophy, embodied in its motto, No Talent Lies Latent, which permeates all aspects of student life and translates into Sanford’s college guidance.

That’s why when the two-person College Counseling Department was left vacant in the summer of 2023, Sanford faced the challenge of maintaining its rigorous, comprehensive college counseling program while preserving its student-centered approach to college guidance.

The solution came in the duo of a college admissions veteran, Director of College Counseling Heather Graber Stinson, and a Sanford specialist, longtime Sanford English instructor Pete Williams.

With 23 years of experience in college admissions at St. Lawrence University, Colgate University, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and the Haverford School in Pennsylvania, Graber Stinson brings a wealth of knowledge to Sanford. As a longtime Sanford English faculty member, Williams draws on his decade-long experience of

teaching and mentoring Sanford students to guide them to the next step in their educational path.

Graber Stinson said Sanford has always followed best practices in college counseling, such as touring schools, hosting admissions officers on campus to speak with students, and beginning work on applications early. However, she stressed that it is the overall structure and culture of Sanford that enables its success in college counseling.

“Sanford is a place that encourages a lot of independence among students, which is really helpful for any post-secondary experience,” she said, adding that due to the size of Sanford’s community—the average class size is 13 students—” you have to show up, and you’re held to a high standard socially and academically.”

Sanford’s holistic college preparation begins early, with a challenging curriculum and strong faculty relationships starting even in Lower School. From the time students enter Upper School, weekly advisor meetings, wide-ranging extracurricular offerings and personalized academic support help students develop independence, self-reflection, and

interpersonal skills, ensuring they are well-prepared and responsible decision-makers by the time they begin applying to college.

In their junior year, students meet regularly with college counselors in a classroom setting to learn how to navigate the college admissions landscape, including walking through the application process, discussing the implications of applying to schools in- vs. out-of-state, explaining financial aid, and preparing resumes, essays and recommendations.

When Sanford’s college counselors begin meeting with students individually in their junior and senior years, they draw on their knowledge of schools themselves, course offerings, and the alignment between a student’s strengths and a school’s profile.

One way Sanford’s college counseling team encourages student well-being in the sometimesstressful college search is by focusing more on a student’s fit with a school rather than its ranking. This means taking into consideration each student’s compatibility with a school’s academic rigor, social environment, and financial feasibility for families.

When meeting individually with a student, Williams emphasizes his focus on the whole student rather than solely looking at numbers. “It’s not just about your SAT score,” he said. “It’s about what you’re passionate about and how you pursue that passion.”

Although Williams draws on his background as an English teacher to write letters of recommendation

and support students in preparing essays for their college applications, he said, “it goes way beyond that.”

“The priority for me was always my connection with the students,” Williams said. Over his 10 years of teaching English at Sanford, “I really developed the skill of connecting with young people, meeting them where they are, and trying to help them achieve their goals and meet their potential,” he said.

Graber Stinson said she has sought to connect with students in her first year at Sanford by integrating herself into the community beyond the College Counseling offices in Quigley Hall.

“You’re doing college counseling every day: building a rapport with the younger students by showing up to the musical, to the basketball game, an art show,” she said. “It’s nice to get to know students in their context before they even step foot in our space.”

By getting to know students as well as their aspirations and ambitions, the College Counseling team draws from their knowledge of the collegiate landscape to guide students to the next step, effectively acting as a bridge between their home at Sanford and the one they will find after graduation.

“They love this place,” Graber Stinson said. “If they had a really good Sanford experience, I want them to feel just as fond of a college or university as they do about this place.”