Stuart Hall School College Counseling Program Mission Statement: 
The college counseling program at Stuart Hall allows students to explore college options and make informed decisions based on personal interests, individual abilities and goals. Ensuring good fits between students and their college of choice is the fundamental force that drives the relationship between student and counselor. Open communication among parents, students, teachers and the college counselor is important in ensuring an effective path to college. The counselor will inform, recommend and advise students on all aspects of the college search and application process, beginning in the ninth grade.
 Upcoming Events and Information Seminar Schedule 2008
Transcript Request Procedures Transcript Request Form
College Planning Timeline:
9th Grade:
- Get involved! Join a club at school, try out a sport, and do some community service. Keep track of your activities so you can remember your involvement for college applications and scholarships.
- Do your best in all of your classes.
- Get to know your teachers and college counselor. They will be writing recommendations for you during your senior year, so it is important that they know you well.
- Start exploring colleges on the Internet and visit college fairs in the local area.
- Do your best on the PSAT to prepare for the SAT.
10th Grade:
- Keep up your involvement with school and co-curricular activities.
- Begin to think about possible academic and career interests.
- Do your best on the PSAT to prepare for the SAT.
- Do your best in all of your classes.
- Visit colleges in the spring and over the summer.
- Talk to friends and family members about their college experience. This can be a wonderful way to introduce yourself to a particular college, but it should not be the sole factor in deciding where to apply.
- Consider taking honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes your junior year.
11th Grade:
- Begin building a list of colleges that interest you. Think seriously about qualities of colleges that are important to you (size, location, academic programs, activities, social scene, etc.). It is important to have a variety of schools on your list. Have some reach schools (colleges that have higher averages of GPAs and standardized test scores than yours), target schools (colleges that are in your range of grades and scores), and likely schools (colleges that have slightly lower averages of GPAS and standardized test scores than yours).
- Request information from colleges on your list. You will begin to receive a lot of mail! Look through everything you receive, and ask questions about any information that is unclear to you.
- Attend college fairs and meet with admissions representatives that visit Stuart Hall! This is an excellent opportunity to ask questions and hear from experts about colleges that interest you.
- Attend admissions events (i.e. open houses, visit days, etc.) at colleges that interest you. Keep visiting colleges in the spring and over the summer.
- Meet with the college counselor in the spring to discuss what the application process is all about, and to discuss your college list.
- It is imperative to take the SAT or ACT at least once during the spring of your junior year. By the time senior year arrives, you want to be well prepared to take it only one more time before applications are due.
- Plan to take some challenging classes your senior year. Do not overwhelm yourself, but it is important to maintain academic rigor throughout your high school career, even at the end!
- Begin to explore scholarship opportunities.
- Begin thinking about your college essay.
12th Grade:
- Meet with the college counselor in September to discuss what schools to which you are going to apply. Keep that list around five to eight schools!
- Meet with college admissions representatives that visit Stuart Hall. It is even more important as a senior because if these are the people that will read your application, it is extremely helpful to have a face with a name!
- Stay organized as you apply to your colleges. Maintain a folder on each college. Keep copies of everything! Make a calendar with application deadlines, SAT/ACT test dates and registration deadlines, and other important dates.
- Applying online is currently recommended but not required. Often times, application fees are waived or are less if you apply this way. If you choose to use the paper application, you can request them through the college's website or by calling the admission office.
- Have an English teacher and the college counselor review your essay for content, grammar, etc.
- Attend admissions events on college campuses. In the fall, colleges will have events for only seniors, and these often include an overnight visit. The overnight visit is the most powerful determining factor in deciding which college is best for you. Even if a school does not offer an overnight open house, request to spend the night on campus so you can get a comprehensive, true feel for the campus culture.
- After January 1, fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. Even if you think your family will not qualify for federal aid, fill it out anyway! Apply as early as possible.
- Maintain good grades throughout your senior year. Colleges can certainly rescind offers of admission based on poor academic performance.
- Apply for any and all scholarships that come your way. Visit the college counseling office for information on scholarship opportunities. Scholarships are offered for almost everything through almost all types of organizations, from large corporations to small churches!
- If you are having trouble deciding where to attend college, visit again the spring.
- Send in your decision to your college of choice by the national deadline of May 1.
Useful websites:
Rebecca Stuart
College Counselor and Special Events Coordinator
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