The College Counseling program at St. Gregory is structured to include grades 9-12. Although the program is intense for juniors and seniors, it is important to encourage all students to start thinking about life after St. Gregory. The process begins with freshmen and sophomores, who are instructed about course planning, time management, and extracurricular activities. This evolves into a more structured and comprehensive program during the junior and senior year. This is strategically planned to slowly ease students into the process, to keep students interested, and most importantly to help eliminate the stress and pressure. The goal is always to find a college or university that matches a student's interests, goals, and academic needs.

The college counseling center sponsors the following fall events:
• 9th 10th grade college planning evening
• Junior counseling evenings with parents
• Senior counseling evenings with parents
• College application essay-writing seminar
• College fair
• College representative visits
• In-state universities presentation
• Mock application program.

The spring activities include:
• Monthly junior seminar classes
• Course registration
• “Letting Go” presentation for senior parents
• Individual meetings with juniors
• Junior parent meetings.

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Senior Program
The college counseling program for seniors is designed to be a combination of small group sessions, individual meetings, and evening parent presentations. This approach allows students to be introduced to topics in small group settings, but also to have the opportunity to discuss confidential and personal issues in individual student and parent meetings. Students begin the senior year with the optional college essay-writing course and, in the first week of school, individual counselor meetings. During the first semester, seniors review the following topics:

• College lists
• College visits to campus
• College Fair
• Visiting colleges
• Interviews
• Application Timeline
• Courses and grades senior year
• Recommendations
• Scholarship searches

Second Semester topics:
• Final application concerns
• Transcripts
• May 1 deadline
• Housing/Orientation
• Financial Aid
• Scholarship information

Junior Program
Juniors begin the college counseling process in earnest in January. The excitement level increases as the juniors begin to research and create their college lists. Along with individual meetings, each month the junior class meets in small groups to review important college counseling topics. Topics covered include the following:

• An overview of what to look for in a college and how to prioritize these aspects
• Creating and working with college lists
• How to build and add to a résumé
• SAT, ACT, SAT II, AP testing information and preparation
• Financial aid information and scholarship searches
• Discussion of and information about summer options
• How to make the best use of a visit to a college campus (interview tips, etc.)

As juniors finish the year, they have an appropriate foundation. This enables them to make the best use of their time, keeping the senior year and college application time as stress-free as possible.

Freshman & Sophomore Program
Students who are in 9th and 10th grade will not work with the college counselor on a regular basis. This is a deliberate strategy to ensure that they do not become overwhelmed with college thoughts too soon in their high school careers. High school is a time for exploration of oneself both inside and outside of the classroom. We want students to take full advantage of what there is to offer without becoming solely focused upon how their high school careers will affect their college selections.
There are specific aspects of the college counseling process of which ALL high school students should be aware. During the 9th and 10th grades, the college counselor supports and guides students in more subtle ways than what occurs in the latter two years.

9th and 10th grade students/parents can expect the following from the college counseling office:

• Guidance with course selection and a plan of action for the full four years of high school.
• PSAT (the preliminary SAT exam) administration and review of results.
• Advice regarding extracurricular activities and how to make the most of time outside of the classroom.
• A clearinghouse for summer opportunities for study, travel, leadership, and other activities.
• Recommendations for summer programs, scholarship programs, leadership opportunities, etc.
• Announcements regarding the aforementioned programs and opportunities.
• Information about the annual St. Gregory College Fair
• A clearinghouse for financial aid and scholarship options, as well as information on saving plans for college.
• General information about colleges and universities, standardized tests, and other pertinent aspects of the college selection process.