 | College Counseling Overview The mission of the College Counseling Office is to help students align their accomplishments at Westminster School with their future aspirations. The office is staffed by a team of dedicated and experienced counselors, who are supported by an actively involved faculty. The individualized work of the counselors is enhanced by an impressive office facility, the latest college search processes and technology, and online and print resources every family needs when making college decisions.
The College Office aims to develop for each student the strongest possible choices from which to select the school that is “the right fit.” While 92 percent of recent graduates have been accepted to Barron’s “Most Competitive” and “Highly Competitive” schools, Westminster is most proud of the personal satisfaction and academic success our students have found in the schools they chose – a telling reflection of both our College Office’s efforts and the caliber of our graduates.
The Counselors
Westminster's college counselors are professional advocates for our students. They interface with admissions officers of colleges and universities on a regular basis and serve as facilitators, guides and educators during the college application process. They know that in some ways the college process is the culmination of a student’s overall educational experience at Westminster. Their highly individualized counsel and support lead students toward making appropriate choices - something our most recent graduates often comment on after leaving Westminster.
The Software
Westminster students have access to “Naviance,” a Web-based software that helps them research colleges, track deadlines, build a college list and chart their progress on applications. They can also use it to fill out electronic surveys, sign up to meet college visitors, and receive e-mail reminders and newsflashes about upcoming deadlines and events. Similarly, the College Office staff use Naviance to track important statistics and monitor student progress. The site contains up-to-the-minute information regarding deadlines, financial-aid information and application requirements, so every student has a much easier time keeping track of all that the college process requires.
The Facilities
The College Counseling Office boasts state-of-the-art technology, roomy offices and a spacious resource room. In the resource room, students can browse shelves of view books, catalogs and resource guides, complete applications, or surf Web sites for current information on colleges, scholarships and deadlines. The resource room and adjacent waiting areas also serve as a place for students and college representatives to hold interviews.
College Visits
Most students begin visiting colleges in the summer of their Fifth-Form (junior) year, at which time they have more information to gauge the appropriateness of each visit. In the fall of the student’s Sixth-Form (senior) year, Westminster welcomes more than 100 college representatives to campus, allowing students additional contact with a particular institution, or providing them with a chance to learn about a school not previously considered.
The Primary Source
Throughout the college process, the College Counseling Office remains a student's primary source of support and information. Counselors register students for all of the standardized testing - SAT and SAT Subject Tests, AP, as well as TOEFL, and ACT when appropriate. Since Westminster is a national test center, students have the advantage of taking these tests in a familiar setting.
Students are empowered to gain as much knowledge as they wish through Westminster’s College Counseling Office and the bounty of information it has available for them. They also receive additional counsel and assistance throughout the college process from their academic advisor, club advisors, classroom teachers and coaches
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