park COLLEGE counseling

Seminar Series

Navigating the road to college can be challenging, liberating, and exciting. While the competition inherent to the college admissions process can be discouraging, there is good news: there is a college for everyone. While college selection is a huge decision for students and their families made with input from many sources, each student has the ability to figure out the process and successfully complete it.

As early as Grade 9, Upper School students have access to the resources necessary to familiarize themselves with the college application process at Park. Students receive one-on-one guidance on the process from our Director of College and Life Counseling. In addition, our College and Life Counseling Center has seminar classes for Grades 9-12. In seminar classes, students learn about college admissions, career exploration, mental health awareness, and study skills.

 

Grade 9 SEMINAR

Our Grade 9 Seminar introduces each incoming freshman class to the seminar sequence and impresses upon each student the importance of upper school to their current and future lives. This seminar focuses on the following topics and skills:

  • Learning the steps to academic success in Upper School;
  • Continuing to develop executive functioning, study, and organization skills;
  • Discovering various post-secondary and career pathways;
  • Practicing skills necessary for college and career success;
  • Refining goal-setting techniques with a focus on academics;
  • Attending presentations from area professionals; and
  • Accessing and exploring their Naviance accounts.


Grade 10 SEMINAR

Our Grade 10 Seminar continues the focus on college and career readiness. One semester of the seminar is focused on developing students’ writing skills, while the other is focused on developing students’ financial literacy. As such, this seminar will focus on the following:

  • Developing students’ writing skills, including the ability to write a winning personal essay for the college admissions process;
  • Introducing financial literacy skills for success at Park, in college, and beyond;
  • Preparing for standardized tests and exams, including the PSAT;
  • Attending presentations about career pathways, prospective colleges, and mental health; and
  • Utilizing Naviance accounts to begin college resumes and to search career options.

Students in Grade 10 Seminar also participate in a visit to a local college or university in the spring. That visit includes a tour of the host school as well as an admissions presentation. 


Grade 11 SEMINAR

Our Grade 11 Seminar gives specific attention to the college search process and college readiness. Students prepare for the college admissions process and build skills that enable them to craft strong applications. This seminar focuses on the following topics and skills:

  • Creating a post-high school plan, including each student’s development of their college list;
  • Reviewing Park Upper School transcripts with a focus on how colleges evaluate them;
  • Developing wide-ranging knowledge about colleges and the admissions process;
  • Engaging in the process of requesting and procuring meaningful letters of recommendation;
  • Establishing plans for SAT and/or ACT testing;
  • Completing college resumes; and
  • Drafting their personal statement essays for college.

All juniors will also meet individually with the college counselor to develop their college list. By the end of this seminar, students will be able to articulate their next steps after high school. Students in Grade 11 Seminar also participate in a college visit, complete with tour and admissions presentation, in the fall.

GRADE 12 seminar

Our Grade 12 Seminar is a graded course centering on the college application and admissions process in the fall, and the completion of senior theses and presentations in the spring. The seminar focuses on the following topics and skills:

  • Completing the Common Application as well as other applications for college admissions;
  • Revising, refining, and finalizing their personal statement essays for colleges;
  • Update and refining their college resumes;
  • Continuing to research schools to add to their college lists;
  • Developing, planning, and completing the senior thesis; and
  • Planning and executing senior thesis presentations.

One of the strengths of Park's seminar series is that by a student’s senior year, a consistent team of teachers and leaders have been working with them on their college application process.  This is extremely helpful when it comes to helping students choose the “right fit” college!