Introduction to College Counseling at SJCS

The College Counseling Program is o ered to assist every SJCS student in selec ng and gaining admission to colleges. The College Counseling Program begins during a student’s freshman and sophomore years with general informa on provided in a large group se ng and some individual/family mee ngs for course selec ons. Formal and individual guidance by the College Counseling O ce begins during a student’s junior year—primarily during the second semester. Beginning during the spring of the junior year and con nuing throughout the fall of the senior year, the college counselor will assist students in nalizing their college choices, comple ng applica ons, and obtaining school recommenda ons when required by colleges. All college applica ons should be reviewed by the College Counseling O ce, where the students’ college counselor will review them online with the student present and then send out transcripts (including senior schedule), le ers of recommenda on, and school pro le in one packet.

In addi on to providing prac cal assistance, the college counselor will encourage students to be open-minded, considering various types and loca ons of colleges; to aim high in seeking college admission while remaining realis c about their chances of admission; encouraging college visits; and assis ng students in mee ng all obliga ons and deadlines set by both the colleges and SJCS. Since there are over 4,000 colleges and universi es—all with di erent deadlines and requirements—it is ul mately the responsibility of the student to know, abide by, and discuss with the college counselor each college’s deadlines and requirements.

The College Counseling O ce will schedule numerous visits from college representa ves throughout the fall and encourage students to visit colleges as well during school breaks or, with proper permission, during school. A list of on campus college visits is available on SCOIR and the SJCS website during the fall of every year.

A ending a quality preparatory school alone does not guarantee college admission. Admission is based upon several factors such as success in academic classes, rigor of courses taken, SAT/ACT scores, recommenda on le ers, extracurricular ac vi es (looking for level of par cipa on rather than number of ac vi es), evidence of leadership, personal interviews, and character.

St. Joseph’s will, when requested on the ins tu on’s applica on (counselor recommenda on sec on), report student conduct records to colleges and no fy colleges of any signi cant changes in the student’s academic or personal status between the me of applica on and gradua on. This includes, but is not limited to, serious disciplinary viola ons, honor viola ons, proba on, suspensions, dismissal, or a signi cant drop in grades. Disclosing such sanc ons does not automa cally disqualify a student from being accepted by a college. However, it does give a student the opportunity to discuss the incident and how the student’s life has been a ected by the incident. With that in mind, we insist that students who have been suspended or have serious disciplinary viola ons disclose these when requested by the college. Furthermore, we request all students who have been suspended or have any other serious disciplinary viola ons to write a le er to all colleges to which they are applying.

Responsibilities: Who Does What?

Ini a ve in the college search and applica on process is the responsibility of the students and parents. The college counselor is here to assist the families in this process. The students are responsible for researching colleges, comple ng all applica ons by the deadlines set by the colleges and SJCS, reques ng teacher and/or counselor recommenda on le ers their junior year, submi ng all transcript requests to the College Counseling O ce before deadlines—giving the o ce at least one month to review the applica on (with the student) and gather all other needed documents to send out with the transcript. Failure to submit applica ons and requests by deadlines can nega vely impact the students’ chance for acceptance into a college.

Responsibili es of the Student:

Thoroughly research and inves gate colleges of interest, including visi ng each (or as many as possible) to which the student plans to apply. Obtain applica on materials and submit applica ons in a thorough and mely manner, mee ng all deadlines set by both the colleges and SJCS (remembering to give your counselor at least 30 days for transcript requests and essay reviews).

Register for all required standardized tes ng and, when applicable, have o cial score reports sent directly to the colleges from the tes ng agency. Please note that SJCS cannot send o cial test scores. However, many colleges now accept self-reported test scores for ini al considera on. Please check with your college for their policy. Please refer to page 52, #9, for more informa on.

Request recommenda ons from teachers and your college counselor making sure to give each writer su cient me to complete (at least 30 days).

No fy the College Counseling O ce in wri ng if the student wishes to have any addi onal informa on, such as updated grades, sent to the college during the course of the year.

Verify with each college that all applica on items were received and if necessary, follow up with the College Counseling O ce.

Take the ini a ve in seeking out the college counselor for advice/guidance as needed.

If applicable, register with the NCAA and/or NAIA in order to par cipate in college sports.

Respond to all o ers of admission and nancial aid by the appropriate deadlines.

Research thoroughly the availability of all scholarship and nancial aid opportuni es at each college to which the student plans to apply as well as search for outside/private scholarships.

Abide by The Statement of Student Rights and Responsibili es and The Statement of Principles of Good Prac ce of the Na onal Associa on for College Admission Counseling, especially with regard to honoring commitments to colleges, the candidates reply date, and early decision agreements.

Responsibili es of Parents:

Facilitate the student’s college search, especially regarding visits to the college, which are cri cal to the process. Discuss honestly and openly with the student your thoughts, wishes, and preferences—especially regarding nancial issues.

Make appointments for a college conference with the college counselor as needed or desired.

Submit all forms required of parents, especially nancial aid forms, including the FAFSA, CSS Pro le, and State Scholarship Forms (i.e. Palme o Fellows).

Responsibili es of the College Counselor:

Meet with the student in the spring of the junior year to help the student assess his or her thoughts on the size, type, and loca on of colleges he or she wants to consider.

Assist the student in crea ng a balanced list of appropriate colleges and help the student es mate chances of admission.

Assist the student with the applica on including the essay as requested. Write the counselor recommenda on le er if a part of the college’s applica on process.

Meet with the student for follow up mee ngs throughout the year as requested by the student and/or family.

Respond to student and parent ques ons and concerns and meet with them for college conferences as requested.