College Counseling Timeline

We know the college process can seem daunting and intimidating. To help you better understand what you should be doing when, we've created this timeline for you to refer back to throughout your Hill career.

General Information

  • To register for Standardized Testing:
  • Please contact your college counselor prior to taking standardized testing.
  • If you have questions about the logistics of taking standardized tests, please contact Samantha Lopez, assistant testing coordinator, at 267-684-5641 or slopez@thehill.org
  • Because we are a private testing site, Hill will not automatically appear as a registration option when you search for The Hill School.  You will need both the School and CEEB codes when registering. Our ACT School Code is 185650 and our SAT School Code is 39594.  The Hill School CEEB code is 394080.

Family Meetings: To schedule a family meeting, please contact Mary Vassallo or your individual counselor. Contact information can be found on the website and in Ciaflo.

College Visit Policy: Each fifth form student will be allowed one academic day away from campus for the specific purpose of visiting colleges. Students must have a parent/guardian contact Mrs. Vassallo in the College Counseling Office at mvassallo@thehill.org to initiate the visit process. Once parental contact is received, an appointment at the college has been scheduled, and travel plans have been shared with the college counselor, students must obtain a College Visit Request Form from Mrs. Vassallo in the College Counseling Office. Final permission for the requested college visit will be contingent upon approval of the student’s teachers, dorm parents, coaches, and appropriate advisers, all of whom reserve the right to revoke this privilege due to poor performance in class or within the community.

Independent Counselors: If you are considering hiring an outside agent or application manager, it is imperative that you discuss this directly with your college counselor. One of the many benefits of attending The Hill School is your college counselor’s deep familiarity with Hill’s curriculum and the opportunities for community engagement. Given this, the Hill counselors are best situated to work closely with students to effectively communicate their experiences and choices as well as advocate on their behalf directly to colleges and universities.  Most admissions offices speak only with school-based officials and your Hill counselor is the sole representative of you/your student to colleges and universities.

Application Policy: The individual counseling provided throughout the college process allows students, families, and counselors to partner in formulating a list of colleges that speaks to the interests, achievements, and possibility of acceptance for each student. On average, a responsible process results in the submission of 8-10 applications; at most, students may submit up to 12 applications (permission to exceed this number may be granted by a college counselor if there are extenuating circumstances; a fee may apply).  Applying to college indiscriminately does not serve a student well. Counselors will work closely with students to develop an appropriate list comprising of 2-3 “Reach,” 4-6 “Target,” and 3 “Likely” schools with the goal of finding a good fit. (Please note: The University of California application counts as one application for up to all 9 campuses; the UCAS system allows 1 application for 5 UK universities.)

Contact Us:

Lauren Hoyt
Co-Director of College Counseling
lhoyt@thehill.org
610-705-1055

Jodi Robinson
Co-Director of College Counseling
jrobinson@thehill.org
610-705-1060

Beth Allain P'18 '23
Assistant Director of College Counseling
ballain@thehill.org
610-705-1168

Meghan Toomey
Associate Director of College Counseling
mtoomey@thehill.org
610-705-1068 

David Page '05
Student Athlete College Recruitment Coordinator and Harry L. Price Coach of Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse
dpage@thehill.org
610-705-1115

Mike Boyer P'25
College Counselor and Head Football Coach
mboyer@thehill.org
610-705-1077

Larissa Snyder
Athey Family Master of English, College Counselor, and Dorm Head (Upper School West)
larissasnyder@thehill.org
610-705-1037

Mary Vassallo
College Counseling Administrative Assistant
mvassallo@thehill.org
610-705-1276