All Upper School students have the opportunity to take several different types of standardized exams for exposure and practice. Exams are given in October, and scores are not sent to colleges.
Freshman Year: PSAT
Sophomore Year: Pre-ACT
Junior Year: PSAT/NMSQT (These tests offer a chance to qualify for scholarships and also serve as practice for the SAT.)
Typically, students take the ACT/SAT exams during their junior year.
Michele Davis
Director of College Counseling
Michele.davis@thewalkerschool.org
Jackie Atchison
Associate Director of College Counseling Jackie.atchison@thewalkerschool.org
Adelaide Dunn
Associate Director of College Counseling
Adelaide.dunn@thewalkerschool.org
Rebecca Pierce College and Academic Support Specialist Middle and Upper School Testing Coordinator
Rebecca.pierce@thewalkerschool.org
COLLEGE COUNSELING
“There is no cookie cutter process when it comes to college admissions. Students have to find the fit that is personally, academically, and financially right for them and their family.”
Michele Davis, Director of College Counseling
Walker’s unique College Counseling Program implements an individualized approach to assist students in finding the college or university that is the best fit for them. We help students and families manage the application process, prepare for the transition to college and build a solid foundation for a successful college experience.
Freshman Year
Laying the Foundation
Each grade is assigned a Grade-Level Dean who stays with students throughout their time in the Upper School. This dean answers questions about course selection, bridges students with resources if they need additional layers of support and acts as a general sounding board. Our College Counseling Team begins conversations with students in the ninth grade to encourage them to build a solid foundation in the Upper School and to share what to expect in the college process. Students are also assigned an advisor and advisory group of 10-12 students that stay together all four years of Upper School. Students work with their advisor and grade-level dean to create a schedule of courses that cultivates their individual interests. In the fall, freshmen play The GPA Game, a fun and game-like conversation starter about how academics drive the college process and how choices made in Upper School will ultimately impact the admissions journey.
Junior Year
Pulling the Puzzle Together
Students begin the year with a Junior Class College Kick-off in the fall. Students, families and counselors begin meeting to strategically discuss the steps of the admissions process including academics, testing, essays, recommendation letters, interviews and co-curriculars. Campus and virtual visits ramp up, and an emphasis is placed on college fairs, local programs and one-on-one meetings with college representatives.
In the spring, students participate in Junior College Conferences and a College Essay Writing Workshop that introduce them to the college essay writing process. Additional work sessions are also offered to students who want a head start on college applications.
Sophomore Year Identifying Interests and Exploring Options
In 10th grade, students continue working with their advisors and the college counseling team as the conversation around college builds. Students are introduced to the SCOIR online platform to help manage the overall college process and YouScience, an innovative tool that helps students explore their personal inventory and possible career interests.
Each year, over 75 colleges and universities visit The Walker School either in-person or through a virtual format. Students have multiple opportunities in their second year to engage with colleges through individualized college visits at Walker, participation in a mock admissions exercise with the Atlanta Individual Case Studies program and special programs hosted by colleges and universities in the metro Atlanta area.
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