UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES IN AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR

Bringing diligence, dedication, creativity, and empathy to College Counseling

By Joe Iuliano, Assistant Head of Academic Affairs

No ivy-covered buildings, science centers, or athletic field houses to walk by or peer into. No passage through campus front gates for first-glimpse drive-throughs. No in-person interactions with admissions officers or alumni. No live group tours on campus. Just virtual campus tours. Just Zoom meetings with college admissions representatives. Just virtual interviews with college alums. Just a drone’s-eye view of the campus. Just a brochure or webpage picture of an ivy-covered building, the new science center, or the athletic center. Descriptions on paper, descriptions online. That’s how seniors in high school in 2020-2021 sought to build the college list and find the best fit, college-of-choice for themselves.

Or is it?

While much of that is an accurate description of the changes encountered in the college application process, it does not present a complete picture for Brimmer’s Class of 2021 as it omits the work of the School’s college counselors and the features of the School’s college counseling program.

Associate Directors of College Counseling Dona Rehm and Lisa Summergrad are the core of the School’s College Counseling Team (which also includes Upper School Head Joshua Neudel, Co-Director of International Students Helen Du—in a consultative role—and myself). They serve our Upper School students directly as advisors in their year-and-a-half-long, three-part process: discovery, planning, and application preparation. Both are degreed from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and together they represent more than a dozen years of experience “on the other side of the college admissions desk” having previously worked at Lafayette College and Wellesley College, respectively.

Throughout the year, they teach the junior and senior college counseling courses, host College Coffees and numerous informational events, read and write recommendations, consult with students on their college lists, provide feedback on numerous Common Application and supplemental essay drafts, and make themselves available to our students and their families for any and every question or concern. They are available throughout the summer for this consultation as well.

Ms. Rehm’s and Ms. Summergrad’s approach to their work incorporates notable intelligence, expertise, diligence, dedication, and empathy applied through meticulous research, skillful writing, effective collaboration with the members of the College Counseling Team, professional affiliation and consultation through multiple counselor associations, and the staple of their work, one-on-one consultation with our students (in person, via Zoom, and through email).

Due to the pandemic, some of this work is harder to manage or requires creativity; some of it actually offers a few advantages as well. Take meetings with college reps, for example. Ms. Rehm observes that virtual visits provided members of the Class of 2021 greater ease and accessibility to college campuses this fall—a student didn’t have to drive, take a bus or train, or fly (this incorporates time, cost, and means)— for a virtual visit versus being on campus. She notes, “Virtual rep visits this fall were pretty successful; over 100 colleges signed up... . Some colleges also offered students the opportunity to visit classes, talk with professors, or meet with student organizations online. Still, for some, it was hard to fully bridge the gap between a virtual and in-person visit.” Ms. Summergrad adds, “Colleges have done quite a lot in the last year to really create robust opportunities for online engagement, and that will likely continue going forward. Students can “see” a campus 3,000 miles away in a way that didn’t used to be possible. It really levels the playing field.”

In addition, Ms. Rehm asserts that virtual visits have also “enhanced accessibility for students, especially for those who it would have been difficult or costly to visit schools.” She adds, “Some college reps have made themselves more available for one-on-one conversations with students, which wasn’t always the case in prior years. Ease with which we could meet with Brimmer parents was also a benefit, especially in regard to financial aid.” Being able to meet on Zoom was a plus for students, families, and counselors as they were able to set up a meeting that worked with family schedules and counselors could provide answers to questions in real time.

Ms. Summergrad described some initiatives designed for the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2022 as well: “We created shared documents with virtual visit options for schools our seniors were considering and did our best to promote them. We shared a similar centralized list of videos (tours, dorm visits, info session signups, overview videos) with our juniors at the time when they might have been “visiting” colleges. I think it was hard for them to engage so early in the pandemic, however. Currently with the juniors, we’re also showcasing tour/ informational videos in class to help them start to see what they can learn about a school from virtual content. We’re hoping if they do the preliminary research this winter and spring, they can actually visit campuses this summer.”

Because virtual evening events are easier for parents and guardians to attend after a day at the office (or at the home office), we experienced higher attendance numbers for college counseling events beginning last spring when we had to go fully remote. These can easily and effectively incorporate slide presentations, involve panels or outside experts, and be recorded and posted for those who are unable to attend.

Alphonse Houndegla ’21

Before the pandemic, the College Counseling Team had discussed a plan to create and post informational videos for our students and families. Because of the pandemic, Ms. Rehm and Ms. Summergrad dove into this project and completed three insightful presentations—“The American Higher Education Landscape,” “What Makes a School ‘Good’?” and “What is Holistic Admissions?”—that are hosted on the School’s website Upper School Resources board (available to current parents and students). These presentations offer insight to those both new and returning to the college application process and exemplify the counselors’ dedication to quality work and support for our students.

The spring brings with it numerous rites of passage for Brimmer’s seniors: final college decisions conferred and final college choices made, AP Exams taken, Senior Theses defended, Senior Projects completed, Senior Week celebrated, and Graduation achieved. Annually, these events shine a bright spotlight on our students and their accomplishments throughout their high school years. While this year may have commenced under Eeyore’s cloud, our seniors, with some self-help, the help of their peers, teachers, college counselors, and Brimmer staff, and their parents and guardians and families, have once again brought a good deal of their own light to the School and to themselves. This light they will bring with them to their next educational destination, one they have worked to enter in multiple new ways throughout the school year. We expect that like the many classes before them, they will find much success in their college studies and represent their high school alma mater quite well. ■

Marianne Alagos ’21 and Kat Klacko ’21