College Counseling

Storm King takes great pride in the amount of personal attention each student receives when planning for life after secondary school. The most important aspect of the process is matching each student with the appropriate undergraduate program. There are several “right” colleges for each student, and Storm King’s graduates enroll in a variety of diverse institutions.

Our Director of College Counseling coordinates and manages the college search process, working together with students and their families, the Academic Dean, the Assistant to the Academic Dean and the Director of College Counseling, and the faculty and staff. All juniors and seniors and their families should work closely with the Director of College Counseling to ensure the college application process goes smoothly. Prior to the junior year, the Director of College Counseling is available to parents and students to discuss any questions about the college search process. Parents are encouraged to be very active participants throughout this extended process and to contact the Director of College Counseling as early in the process as possible. Parents may schedule appointments in person or by phone and attend information sessions when they are held on campus.

In the college search process, much of the focused work with students, families and the Director of College Counseling occurs during the winter and spring semester of a student’s junior year and continues through the spring of a student’s senior year. During the summer before the student’s senior year, if not earlier, families are encouraged to visit colleges and, if possible and where necessary, have formal interviews. Although it is possible, students are discouraged from taking time off while Storm King is in session, as missed classes may affect grades, which, in turn, could affect chances of acceptance to college. In the fall of a student’s senior year, frequent group and individual conferences take place, often with parents.

Some families choose to engage an outside consultant to help coordinate their son or daughter’s college search process. While this is not necessary, the school will work with this outside support as long as the consultant coordinates their work with the Director of College Counseling. It is particularly important to remember that all college applications, including essays, must be the original work of the students. Teachers, the Director of College Counseling, and others may help with editing and proofreading to a reasonable extent, but the work must be the applicant’s own original creation. Because students