The College Counseling Process
What We Ask of You
The College Counseling office suggests that each senior have a list of at five to eight schools by October. Park sets a maximum number of applications at 12. This allows students to focus their energies, make important choices, and avoid a scattershot approach. If a student plans to apply to more than 12 schools, the student, parents, and college counselor must meet together to discuss the rationale for doing so.
The College Counseling Office asks students to:
- Submit an Information Release Form if they want the College Counseling Office to send test scores to colleges.
- Adhere to deadlines for submitting the Counselor Report (also called “School Report”) section of the Application to the College Counseling Office. The deadlines are as follows.
| If the college-imposed application deadline is: | Submit the completed My Schools Form to Susan Chase by: |
|---|---|
| November 1 | October 16 |
| November 15 | November 2 |
| December 1 | November 16 |
| December 15 | December 7 |
| January 1 | December 7 |
| January 15 | January 4 |
| February 1 | January 25 |
| February 15 | February 8 |
- Apply to college on time.
- An application should include: application, essays, and supporting materials, if relevant.
Please note that some schools will require you to submit official test scores. These can be sent from www.collegeboard.com or www.act.com.
- Provide teachers with recommendation forms and stamped and addressed envelopes in a timely fashion.
- Keep the College Counseling office informed about interviews.
- Read the College Bulletin Board and sign up for information sessions.
- Contact the College Counseling Office when they receive information about their applications.
What We Do for You
The College Counselors provide many services. They meet with students and their parents as many times as necessary to advise and give information concerning potential college choices.
The counselors are available by telephone and mail. The counselors also:
- Host informational meetings for students and parents.
- Offer essay-writing workshops in the summer preceding senior year.
- Conduct weekly College Counseling classes at the beginning of the senior year.
- Arrange for admissions officers to visit with Park students.
- Visit and telephone colleges to acquaint them with Park School and its applicants.
- Write letters of recommendation for every student.
- Maintain a library of books, videos, college catalogs, scholarship information, and applications.
- Send a packet of documents to each school to which a student applies. This packet includes: the Counselor recommendation, the School Report, a high school transcript and The Park School Profile. Please note that we will include test scores on the transcript for all students who have signed an Information Release Form.
