Graduating Seniors Reflect

Seattle Academy’s Culture of Performance, Applied

GRADUATING SENIORS REFLECT ON SEATTLE ACADEMY COLLEGE ADVISING When a student arrives for their first College Advising meeting, everything can seem so big and so unknown. In the swirl of different pressures, students want to be seen and respected for who they are.

Seattle Academy College Advising identifies key approaches that make the process successful and even enjoyable. It understands that the risks required by SAAS’s Culture of Performance build muscle memory on which applicants can draw. Appreciating kids as people allows College Advising to individualize support and encouragement. We identify and showcase what is special in each student. And when we tell students and families we are going to do something, we follow through.

Our six-person office is unique among Seattle independent schools. It includes four full-time college advisors with decades of experience in selective college admission, as well as two colleagues dedicated to everything from ensuring answers to the questions of 9th and 10th grade families to close oversight of the office’s important application systems. This “big and small” office means broader variety and depth of admission expertise, personal attention to students and families, and critical attention to detail.

Annually, one hundred percent of our college applicants gain admission to one or more colleges, among them the nation’s most selective.We love our work and could write at length about it. But instead, we’re humbled and delighted to share the reflections of current 12th grade college advisees.

ON HOW COLLEGE ADVISING FOSTERS STUDENTS’ SUCCESS Sydney Grayson ’20 In a time of maintaining your GPA and signing up for standardized tests,

Sydney Grayson ’20

added stress is the last thing a student needs. That’s why when I scheduled my first meeting with college advisor Dave Thomas—in whose office I was convinced I would be during every lunch preceding senior fall—I was prepared to add to my seemingly never-ending list of things to be stressed about. However, College Advising fostered an environment where I escaped familial, peer, and self-pressure and used its expertise to discover the best institution for me.

In moments of panic—“How do I send official score reports?” “How can I convey in 100 words that this is the place for me?!”—Dave responded within a day and never failed to put my worries to rest. His office was a place of solitude in which everything I was stressed about was never belittled and was always resolved. Although Dave’s door was always open, I found myself meeting with him less frequently as I continued the process. He gave me the foundation to recognize what I wanted in a school and improved my writing so it was second nature to complete colleges’ supplements.

Sam Rawlins ’20

I appreciated how Dave focused on finding a college that was right for me. We all know of students who picked schools for the wrong reasons, whether for external rankings, selectivity metrics, or family member opinions. I will now be attending a college next fall that I chose, and Dave's support gave me the confidence to make that selection

ON THE INTENTIONAL AND THOUGHTFUL PROCESS OF FINDING A GREAT FIT COLLEGE Sam Rawlins’20 When the day came to choose between the two colleges to which I would apply early decision (ED), I was stuck. I weighed the pros and cons of each college to find a deciding factor that would allow me to say, “Yes, this is the one,” but I eventually reached a point where I was overthinking, the facts became trivial, and I realized that, metaphorically speaking, I needed to listen to my heart.

So, I hopped on my bike and pedaled to Seward Park in the chilly autumn air. Here, beneath the setting pink sky,

I let go of the rankings and statistics and allowed myself some existential freedom to reflect. I listened to the birds and the water and my soul. Come sundown I drew from somewhere inside a feeling that I belonged in New Orleans.

And, so, I applied to Tulane University. I initially pondered the merit of my decision—“Was it wrong to decide my future based on a compelling feeling?”— but reflecting on my past seven years at SAAS, I realized that I could trust this feeling. Indeed, SAAS’s Culture of Performance helped demonstrate to me that as long I had a foundation of preparation, taking risks would always lead to profound growth.

College Advising further deepened this trust. My college advisor, Misa Kabashima, helped and encouraged me to conduct rigorous college research into a range of universities we both saw as potential fits. She also balanced giving me helpful suggestions with an understanding that it was important for me to make decisions on my own. Most importantly, she helped me engage in personal reflection, through which I

Ari Porad ’20

became clearer about my identity and more confident about making significant life decisions.

And so, on that momentous autumn evening, although that compelling feeling may not have provided me with absolute certainty, it gave me an answer that I knew to be true to myself and thus one to which I knew I must listen.

ON HOW STUDENTS AND COLLEGE ADVISING PROCESS INFORMATION TOGETHER Ari Porad ’20 I have successfully applied to college, and been accepted to several. Conceptually, I always knew that would happen. Yet, I have a vivid memory of talking to my mother last April and feeling hopelessly lost. I had a list of fifty colleges that I was “considering,” which varied by three orders of magnitude on every possible metric. They each required a delightfully inconsistent set of documents, test scores, and “We’re special, so jump through this hoop for us” caveats. I had no idea what to do next.

Fortunately, I wasn’t alone in this process—I had the help of the amazing SAAS College Advising Department, led by my college advisor, Melanie Reed. So, I did what would quickly become my go-to course of action and sent her an email detailing (perhaps too thoroughly) my concerns. As always, she immediately knew not only how I was feeling but also had a detailed answer to each of my questions and set up a meeting to go over them in person.

At first, I assumed this was just an anomaly. As I progressed through the process, however, I discovered the exact opposite was true: any time I—or any of my friends—had any college-related problem, College Advising always knew exactly how to solve it. They guided us through the chaos of college admissions, lighting the way and helping us when we got lost. I absolutely couldn’t have done it without them.

ON HOW STUDENTS ENCOUNTER IN COLLEGE ADVISING SOUND ADVICE AND A SENSE OF FUN Lucy Waggoner ’20 I came to SAAS in 6th grade, and for several years, College Advising was just another nondescript corner I walked by in the Vanderbilt Building. College was too far away to worry about when I could stress over finals and math grades and “end-of-trimester” perfor mances instead.

But as junior year started and college replaced weather as my go-to small talk, the College Advising team became more and more familiar. And ironically, that corner in the building became one of my favorite refuges from college stress. It was always warm, with cozy chairs, free candy (Dave always carries Werther’s) and words of reassurance or practicality as I needed them.

Lucy Waggoner ’20

Lucas Sherman ’20

Harlow Brumett-Dunn ’20

Dropping by College Advising always made the process feel more approachable and reminded me that applying to college could be about finding a good fit for me, not just trying to impress admissions officers. Even if my college counselor wasn’t available, someone’s door was always open. Once, I stopped by because I was agonizing over my Early Decision choice. Dave was in a meeting, but Misa walked over and, to my surprise, already knew which school I was looking at, what I liked about it, and what I hoped to do there.

I realized that College Advising shared an interest in and information about all of the students because they aren’t just individual counselors; they work as a team. Although my application process is thankfully over, the College Advising corner is still one of my favorite spots. I make sure to visit whenever I can.

ON HOW THE PROCESS TEACHES PEOPLE MORE ABOUT THEMSELVES Lucas Sherman ’20 More than anything, the college advising process has taught me what I value. I obviously learned more about what I value in a college (programs, facilities, extracurricular activities). But even more meaningfully, I learned the values by which I seek to live.

The college search process is such an introspective one through which you're forced to look more deeply at who you are. I was forced to look at the activities I've done throughout high school, the people I've surrounded myself with, and the communities I've tried to build.

Through this lens of looking back, I remembered why I did certain activities and the underlying motivation behind them. Election to student government and my role in the Suicide Prevention Council grew from a visceral reaction to what felt like the need to give more attention to suicide prevention. The Other Six (my nonprofit I co-founded) helped those left in the wake of suicide. Finally, Robotics grew my friend group.

Rarely in your life are you given the opportunity truly to look at the scope and scale of your life. At first, it seemed really overwhelming, but after frequent trips to College Advising, and especially to my college advisor, Misa, I felt really solid in understanding who I am as a person. Conversations there ranged from what I want the ethos of my university to be, to the best kind of French fries, to the 2020 presidential candidates. I truly understood more of who I am and, even more importantly, who I want to be going into the future.

ON HOW STUDENTS ULTIMATELY PROCESS THEIR COLLEGE CHOICES Harlowe Brumett-Dunn ’20 Beginning in elementary school, my life has been on a steady one-way track to prepare for the future. Everything had been planned out so that I may access the best opportunities for furthering my education and subsequent career. Because of my athletic recruiting schedule, SAAS College Advising joined ranks with me in 10th grade.

I first met my college advisor when I was debating which courses to take in for 11th grade. With my rigorous student-athlete schedule and knowledge of potential offers from colleges, I needed to know which classes I could take to keep a balanced schedule and also not burn out.

Like her coworkers in College Advising, my advisor Melanie Reed had helped other D1 athletes through this process and had the experience to answer all of my questions. From the end of my junior year to the beginning of my senior year, I began to receive offers from colleges. I was overwhelmed with great options and had a difficult time deciding. However, Melanie helped me stay patient and carefully pick through the details while staying on top of deadlines.

Every time I’d come back from “official visits,” I would meet with Melanie and go over the pros and cons of each school. We would weigh my thoughts and impressions, and she would patiently wait as I flipped back and forth with the weight of the decision. She used her free time to edit my essays and supported me through one of the toughest choices of my life. With Melanie’s help, in December I was officially accepted to and chose to attend Princeton University. Her help and support not only got me through the logistics of the college applications but also the emotional strain of a life-changing decision. ☜