College Admissions Advising
Applying to Colleges is about exploration, aspirations, growth, and realism. Balancing all these aspects is at the heart of a successful and fulfilling College Advising experience. To achieve the best possible outcomes, it is important to have an open dialogue, transparency and stay on top of the timelines so that the process can deliver on its intended goals.
The college planning process is not only assessing a student's academic preparedness but their readiness for transition. As your college advisor, I am your guide and trusted resource. I consider the student's points of challenge (where they can be pushed), opportunity for social and emotional growth, career, and experiential experiences toward success.
This is a very personal decision about where to spend your college years. A good college choice involves several distinct steps and decision points. Together we will work through each of those decision points, make pro-active strategic/ tactical decisions, and realign as the situation evolves.
College Advising Timeline
9th Grade
Get Involved beyond the sign up or first meeting!
Take inventory of your skill sets. Where do you need improve?
Set goals to improve and demonstrate effort.
Choosing coursework and activities that align with your interests and goals.
Actively pursue academic enrichment and/or interests (i.e. summer programs, camps, online classes, travel, retreats, or a job).
10th Grade
Level up your Involvement: Continue and expand your responsibilities.
PSAT: Practice and demonstrate your academic talent and skills. Score should align with your class grades/GPA.
Stay focused on your goals and choose your rigor to stay on track to meet admissions criteria.
Career Interest Survey and Job Shadows/Summer job.
11th Grade
Schedule a Comparison Test/Diagnostic test to determine SAT or ACT. Choose your test dates!
Self-Discovery: Building your Preliminary College List. Know your needs & wants for your academic and social fit.
Research, College Fairs, College Visits. Ask questions and understand admissions terminology.
Consistency, Rigor, & Alignment: Develop a purpose and a meaningful approach to your college application.
12th Grade
Develop an Impactful Activity Section (CA) or Resume that highlight your experience and priorities.
Schedule College Visits, Confirm senior year coursework based upon admission criteria.
Narrow College List to meet your criteria and preferences. A range of selectivity is important.
Boot Camp/ Private Coaching: Common App, Personal Essay, College specific essays/responses, interviews.
Continue Research on Careers and Majors that may offer direct admit & combination degree programs.
Learn about college honors and scholar programs and application deadlines.
What Does Advising Involve?
Everyone has a role to play. As advisors, we take the lead in the consulting and managing processes, but not control of the decision making or how the tasks get complete.
Students should be ready to be adventurous, open to ‘digging’ and ‘looking’ things up and completing the assigned tasks.
For Parents, your support for your child is important throughout the process. You are going to have wisdom to share but listening and validating them are just as crucial in developing a secure relationship around their college and career decisions.
Small Group Camps & Workshops
Throughout the academic year, but especially from late spring to fall, we, at Axios, offer goal-oriented camps and workshops that are designed for high school juniors and seniors to navigate the college application process.
Topics explored include narrowing down which colleges are right for the student, college essay writing, best practices for filling out college applications, and more!
Next Steps
Schedule your call to begin your college planning conversation with me.