College Counseling
Embracing the School's mission of preparing our students for "college, careers, and life," we structure an exploration of each student's sense of self, interests and talents, ambitions, and long-term aspirations. All of this is undertaken with the intention of directing every student toward making sound choices that are individually focused. We help our students base these decisions upon self-knowledge, careful research, and critical assessment of the personal values inherent in each student's unique situation. Through this approach, the college search process points toward a fascinating journey of discovery and opportunity; the College Counseling staff looks forward to providing our professional experience and advice as our students embark upon that journey and make the transition to a world beyond Hill.
Within this framework, the college counselors are committed to helping each student find the college or university best suited to the student’s aspirations, needs, and abilities. While the college search process begins with the academic and social exploration during third and fourth form years, the most carefully supported preparations occur during fifth and sixth form years.
As college counselors, we will:
- Strive to provide comprehensive and professionally sound advising that addresses the student’s individual needs – academic, social, emotional, and financial. We recognize that this college search journey will be unique for each student; therefore, we will focus upon the personal strengths of each student and use those strengths to guide every student’s path.
- Focus on the idea of “match” or “fit” in providing advice to students about process and about specific educational opportunities. While part of that decision-making journey will incorporate specific information regarding schools’ selectivity issues, we want to help students focus on the idea of finding a set of schools that provide confidence, wonder, and enthusiasm regarding their future, schools that are best-positioned to provide opportunities of future success.
- Push hard to make each student take responsibility for the considerations and decisions this process demands. By pushing each student to lead his or her own search process, we hope that students will learn and embrace the idea of applying the wide variety of skills that The Hill School curriculum fosters in a real-world application, all in a situation fully supported by committed professionals.
- Seek to work in partnership with students and parents to make this search process as smooth and as meaningful as possible.