Academics
College Counseling
College Counseling
The mission of the college counseling office is to help students find a home in college that will be every bit as important and inspirational to them as their home at Westminster. To assist students in finding another great match, college counselors work closely with them and their parents, as well as their teachers, coaches and advisors. The college office provides students and parents with the latest college search technologies, along with outstanding professional expertise.
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 93 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.
College Matriculation
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Five-Year College Matriculation
The list below shows where three or more Westminster graduates of the classes of 2018-2022 enrolled, denoted by the number in the parenthesis.Babson College (3)Bates College (5)Boston College (14)Boston University (8)Bowdoin College (3)Brown University (8)Bucknell University (10)Colby College (4)Colgate University (13)College of the Holy Cross (8)Connecticut College (5)Cornell University (5)Dartmouth College (4)Denison University (9)Elon University (4)Endicott College (3)Franklin and Marshall College (3)George Washington University (7)Georgetown University (9)Hamilton College (5)Harvard University (4)Hobart William Smith Colleges (4)Indiana University-Bloomington (3)Lafayette College (3)Lehigh University (8)Marist College (3)Miami University, Oxford (3)Middlebury College (8)New York University (8)Northeastern University (11)Northwestern University (4)Occidental College (3)Princeton University (6)Providence College (6)Purdue University-Main Campus (3)Quinnipiac University (3)Sacred Heart University (4)Santa Clara University (6)Skidmore College (5)Southern Methodist University (12)St. Lawrence University (9)Syracuse University (5)The University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill (3)Trinity College (18)Tufts University (10)Tulane University of Louisiana (9)University of Colorado Boulder (4)University of Connecticut (4)University of Denver (12)University of Miami (3)University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (4)University of Pennsylvania (4)University of Richmond (22)University of Southern California (4)University of St Andrews (10)University of Toronto (3)University of Vermont (3)University of Virginia-Main Campus (9)University of Wisconsin-Madison (3)Vassar College (6)Villanova University (7)Wake Forest University (14)Washington University in St Louis (5)Wesleyan University (12)William & Mary (3)Williams College (3)
The College Process at Westminster
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Third Form
Third Form students are encouraged to spend the year focusing on acclimating to the boarding school community, finding confidence in the classroom, and exploring extracurricular interests. Since the Westminster community mimics that of a college community, students should take stock of what they enjoy about this experience. Since our college counselors live on campus and are fully immersed in the community, Third Form students have the opportunity to develop relationships with the counselors who will guide them throughout the college process. -
Fourth Form
Fourth Form students should be hitting their stride in all aspects of the Westminster community. These students will be introduced to practice standardized tests - starting with the PSAT in the fall term and the PreACT in the spring term. Students will receive the results a few weeks after each test and should take these results with a grain of salt. For example, many Fourth Formers may not have received full exposure to all of the math that is on these tests. It should be noted that the PSAT and PreACT are not used by colleges in the admission process and we do not recommend that students do much preparation for each test. The purpose of these tests is to gain a baseline on possible areas to improve.Parents and guardians of Fourth Form students are invited to attend an information session hosted by the College Counseling Office during Parents and Family Weekend during the fall term. -
Fifth Form
Fifth Form students begin engaging with the college search in December with an all-Form meeting. At this meeting, Fifth Formers are introduced to key college search concepts, including the value of research, an overview of the online platforms the college office uses to manage the college search and application process, and important dates and deadlines. They are also given the Fifth Form Student Questionnaire, which is an opportunity for students to highlight their high school accomplishments and future aspirations. Once students turn this document into the college office, they receive the name of their College Counselor. Parents are also invited to complete the Parent Questionnaire for their student.Throughout the winter and spring, Fifth Form students meet individually with their College Counselor to develop a list of colleges that could be an appropriate match based on what they have learned in individual conversations with their College Counselor and attend all-Form college meetings. Students benefit from participation in the Hartford Area Independent Secondary School College Counselors Association (HAISSCCA), which hosts a college fair in the spring that is regularly attended by well over one hundred colleges from around the world.Fifth Form students are encouraged to take either the SAT or ACT during the winter or spring terms. They are also invited during the fall term to take the PSAT to qualify for National Merit Scholarship opportunities. It should be noted that not all students will be required to use their standardized testing as part of their admission process and students will meet their individual counselor for the most appropriate individual strategy.Also, in the spring, Fifth Form students begin to write a college essay draft, request college recommendations from their teachers, and begin to solidify their final college list. -
Sixth Form
College Counselors require Sixth Form students to submit a draft of their college essay in September and the counselors meet with students regularly throughout the admissions process. The College Counselors support students by solidifying their college lists, deciding on appropriate application timelines, editing essays, and completing applications.Counselors host an all-Form meeting every two weeks throughout the fall term to keep students on track with their applications and to discuss larger college counseling concepts. Throughout the fall, Sixth Formers meet with representatives from leading universities who visit the Westminster campus. During this time, Sixth Formers have the opportunity to take the SAT or the ACT in advance of early and regular decision application deadlines in November, December, and January.By the May 1 national college deposit deadline, Sixth Formers are wrapping up the college process by accepting an offer of admission from a college or university.
Meet the College Counseling Staff
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Contact Us
995 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, Connecticut 06070
P. (860) 408-3000
F. (860) 408 3001
Simsbury, Connecticut 06070
P. (860) 408-3000
F. (860) 408 3001
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Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students
In keeping with our support for a diverse community, Westminster abides by all applicable federal and state laws and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national and ethnic origin, ancestry and/or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered program. Westminster admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.
In keeping with our support for a diverse community, Westminster abides by all applicable federal and state laws and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national and ethnic origin, ancestry and/or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered program. Westminster admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.
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AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.