Graphic by Chandler Littleford/The Choate News
If the college application process is lengthy and stressful, the College Counseling Office (CCO) remains a profoundly helpful resource, helping juniors dive into the college process prepared and confident. The College Counseling Office assigns one of their 10 counselors to a group of 20 to 30 juniors. Students attend college seminars with their group and have one on one meetings with their counselors regularly.
College counselors are invested in getting to know the students they are working with. Before the college application process begins, every junior writes a personal narrative about their character, interests, and accomplishments at Choate. By reading these essays, the college counselors are able to get a better sense of what each student’s goals are and what colleges would be well-suited for them.
One-on-one meetings happen regularly from late junior winter until admittance to a university. In these meetings, topics such as one’s list of preferred colleges and standardized testing, among other things, are discussed. However, each student can decide the frequency of their meetings.
During senior fall, students often choose to have one-on-one meetings more frequently. “During [junior spring], I’d say we met around every two weeks, but senior fall, we would meet around every week,” said Esi Dunyoh ’20. Additionally, the CCO organizes seminars consisting of 25-30 students, introducing the college counseling process, and providing students with advice on researching possible colleges.
College tours usually happen during spring break of a student’s junior year and the summer before senior year. Choate hosts a college visit trip during spring break, but students also organize tours on their own. By holding college information sessions during seniors’ fall term, the CCO hopes to put students directly in contact with the admission staff of several universities to allow colleges to know them personally.
“It’s set up in the Athletic Center, and you go around giving colleges your email,” Dunyoh said. “For schools you want to apply to in January, finishing that list by early December is fine.”
Students applying for early decision, however, decide on their college list earlier. Other principal aspects of the process in senior fall include teacher recommendations, including one from your counselor, and essays.
While students can certainly begin writing their application statements in the summer, their counselors ensure that the process runs smoothly throughout the application season.
If most students agree that this overall structure is effective, many would also love for the entire process to begin earlier. Sabahat Rahman ’21 said, “It could have been nice if sophomore year they had told us a little about testing. I feel like I’ve saved it all for this year.”
Doing some planning and research beforehand may prove useful because, most students acknowledge, the college process is a lot of work. “You might be interested in something niche, and that might be good to look into,” Dunyoh remarked.
As every sixth-former knows, it is paramount to take it slow. Rushing through the process increases stress and can ultimately decrease the quality of one’s application. While the process is all but guaranteed to induce stress, one should try to relax and plan ahead, especially in the beginning. “I’m the kind of person that if I have a plan I’ll feel much better,” Rahman said.
To fifth-formers, Dominic Thomas ’21 advised, “You can think about it, but don’t make it a priority because you still have time.” The more anxiety one feels, the more difficult the process becomes. Moreover, taking full advantage of one’s counselor is extremely beneficial. Dunyoh said, “Talk to your counselor about how you’re feeling.” They are there to help and are a valuable resource.
Ms. Marcia Landesman, the Director of College Counseling, said, “Because our college counseling is tailored to meet students where they are, Choate college counselors can adjust their approach to help students work through whatever part of the process they find to be difficult.” And so by taking full advantage of the CCO’s resources, Choate students can have a successful, more relaxed college-application experience.
