College Counseling
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
We encourage parents and students to wait until junior year to immerse themselves in the college search process. The best college admission strategy takes full advantage of the first four years at Burroughs to focus on strong development of knowledge and skills – in the classroom, the studio, the athletic field, and the greater community. That said, there are some general topics and terms that come up before the formal college search and application process begins. This section addresses some of these topics and terms, but for more detail see the College Counseling Handbook.
Course
Selection at JBS
Getting
Started
Standardized
Testing
Applications
and College Admission Plans
Financial Aid
Visiting Schools
Filling out Applications
College Essays
Gap Year
Miscellaneous -- but important --
Policies
Course Selection at JBS
Course
selection is driven by graduation requirements, student interest and
ability. We discourage
students from making decisions driven strictly by college
expectations, and it is very important to remember that colleges
evaluate many factors, in addition to course selection and
performance. No single
course choice will be the deciding factor in any college’s
admission decision. That
said,
• A student’s effort to take the most rigorous course work available – and achieve a grade of “B” or better – can positively influence decisions by the most highly selective colleges.
• Math classes track students beginning in seventh grade, and course placement/selection in math in earlier grades at Burroughs affects course opportunities in upper grades, including honors pre-calculus and AP calculus.
• Science classes are untracked in seventh and eighth grades. Achievement, honors and AP courses are available to eligible students, beginning in ninth grade. However, students are not committed to or excluded from upper level courses in science based on what courses they take in earlier years.
• Foreign language classes are untracked until eleventh grade when honors and AP courses are available to eligible students.
• English classes are untracked all six years; however, an honors course, as a supplement to twelfth grade English, is available to eligible students.
• History classes are untracked all six years.
The
most complete source of information on courses and course sequence
at Burroughs is the curriculum guide which is updated annually and
distributed after spring break to eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh
graders in advance of the course selection process for the coming
year. Students consult
with advisors before submitting a final selection which is also
approved by the principal and parents.
Getting Started
• Students and parents are welcome to become familiar with the resources in the JBS College Conference Room in Haertter Hall. These range from college catalogs and videos to information on financial aid.
• Every April, Burroughs cosponsors a College Fair at MICDS. While there isn’t a great deal of opportunity to visit seriously with college reps, students can learn some basics and pick up some literature at the fair.
• Many colleges sponsor evening meetings throughout the school year. They are geared to seniors (and juniors) but are open to the public. Information about these meetings is posted on the college counseling bulletin board in the north corridor of Haertter Hall. Students might receive individual invitations if they have made contact with a college.
• Juniors may attend college rep visits on campus during their free periods.
• Most families do not make college visits before spring break of junior year. However, you can get a good feel by visiting “typical” campuses – urban versus suburban versus rural; small private college versus large public university; Southeast versus Northwest, etc. – when making general travels prior to the formal college search.
Standardized Testing
• PSAT/NMSQT: All students take the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) in the fall of their sophomore and junior years. Sophomore year is for practice; junior year is the qualifying test for the National Merit, National Achievement (for African American students) and National Hispanic Scholarship Competitions. The PSAT also provides an idea of what SAT I scores might look like. The PSAT is administered at Burroughs during the school day.
• SAT I: The SAT I is a three-hour and forty-five minute objective test measuring verbal and mathematical skills. The test includes a writing sample. Every junior is encouraged to take the SAT I in January or March and probably again in May. Many seniors retake the test in the fall, since the scores often increase on the second or third testing. The SAT I is offered across the St. Louis area throughout the year. Students must register on their own.
• ACT: The ACT is a battery of tests in English, math, social sciences and natural sciences that assesses general educational development in these areas. The ACT is offered across the St. Louis area throughout the year. Students must register on their own. Beginning in 2005 the ACT offers an optional writing test; we encourage all students to take the writing test.
NOTE:
Students may use either
the SAT I or the ACT in their college applications; historically,
Burroughs students have favored the SAT I simply because they’ve
had some experience with the related PSAT.
• SAT II: The SAT II Subject Tests are in specific areas. They are all multiple choice. One to three tests may be taken on a given testing date (but SAT IIs cannot be taken on the same day as the SAT I). As a general rule, juniors are encouraged to take math and one or two other tests in subjects they have completed (e.g., American history, physics, etc.) in June. Some juniors will have already taken biology (after ninth grade) and chemistry (after tenth). Other tests may be taken in senior year (e.g., foreign languages). The most highly selective colleges will recommend (and some will require) either two or three SAT II tests. SAT IIs are offered at the same locations and times as the SAT I. Students must register on their own.
• ADVANCED PLACEMENT: Advanced Placement Tests are subject tests (like the SAT IIs) and are given at Burroughs in May to those students who register with the appropriate academic department. A strong score on these tests can earn a high school student college credit (but each college defines the nature of that credit). While officially AP scores are not considered in the college admission process, we find that admission officers take notice of a student who earned a 4 or a 5 (out of 5) on an AP test taken in the sophomore or junior year.
• Test Preparation: As an institution, we believe that the course work at Burroughs amply prepares students for standardized tests and that faculty provide substantial support for SAT I, SAT II, ACT and AP tests. That said, many students/families opt to enroll in commercial prep classes. The decision is entirely a personal one. If your family believes such a prep course is advisable, we would only recommend that the course be taken the summer before junior year to maximize its potential assistance.
Applications and College Admission Plans
Each
college or university sets its own rules and requirements for
applications. Some
provide their own applications; others offer the option of the
common application. Some
want a hard copy filled out longhand; others will accept only
on-line applications. The
JBS College Counseling Handbook spells this out in considerable detail.
A
detailed calendar of the application process, which is primarily
accomplished in the first half of senior year, is also provided in
the JBS College Counseling Handbook.
• Those applying to schools with rolling admissions (most state universities) generally hear within three to four weeks. Applications may be submitted as early as September.
• Those applying regular decision must submit applications by specific dates (Jan. 1- Feb. 1). Decisions are usually rendered by April.
• Those applying early decision – which requires an unequivocal commitment from the student – must generally submit their applications between November 1 and December 1, and they will receive decisions from colleges by mid-December. A relatively new offering – early decision II – is offered by some schools with applications due in January and notification by March. This option is geared to students who may not have been accepted at their first choices (early decision I) or who want to strengthen their records with first semester senior grades.
• A final category is early action which follows a comparable application/notification timetable as early decision but does not require the student’s decision until May.
NOTE:
Burroughs complies with college restrictions on early
applications, i.e., if a college’s early admission policy requires
that a student not apply anywhere else early, Burroughs enforces
that restriction.
Financial Aid
• Need-based aid is allocated solely on the ability of the student’s family to pay for tuition and fees. A college will determine the need-based financial aid package for the students they accept and will divide that money into three different types of support: grants (which do not have to be repaid), loans (which must be repaid but usually at reasonable interest rates) and work-study.
• Merit/talent-based aid is given for significant talent and achievement (academic, athletic, leadership, artistic, etc.) and usually has no need component.
NOTE:
The Burroughs college counseling office has considerable
financial aid resources for students to explore, and every November
Burroughs invites a college financial aid officer to campus to speak
to interested junior and senior parents.
However, it is up to the student/family to research financial
aid resources and complete all forms.
Visiting Schools
While you can learn a great deal about colleges and universities by visiting their web sites and reading their admissions materials, there is no substitute for actually visiting, taking the general tours and attending the information sessions. Take advantage of the varied campuses in the St. Louis area as well as those near family vacations to get a feel for urban versus suburban, large versus small, public versus private, etc.
As you begin to narrow your sites, you can visit colleges during the summer before your junior year, during spring break of your junior year, and during the summer before your senior year. Other good times to visit include long weekends in October and November and three long weekends in the winter. Seniors may also miss up to three class days (assuming they are not in academic trouble) to visit colleges.
Filling Out Applications
Once you have your list narrowed down to six or seven schools (with at least one reach school, one possible school and two “likely” schools), you are ready to begin filling out your applications. College admission officers read all application forms very carefully, and you should regard each of your application forms as a vital component of your candidacy.
If schools offer online applications, it is absolutely
appropriate to use them if you are comfortable with it.
In fact, many schools prefer that you fill out applications
online and even waive the application fee.
College Essays
At
the time that you are sending in your application, the essay is the
best way for you to gain control of your presentation.
Once you’ve received a grade in a course, you can’t
change it, but if you’re on the edge of being admitted, or
receiving a merit
scholarship, the essay can have a profound impact on the college’s
decision. Moreover, the
essay, along with your teacher recommendations, is the place where
you will come alive to the admission officers, much more than a
series of letters or numbers on a page.
Leave yourself plenty of time to write your essays. You may even be wise to have a draft or two of your essay completed by the time that you return for your senior year. Anything that is of real interest to the student can make for a good essay, including autobiographical, social or political interests, intellectual interests
Gap Year
Probably the best single source for advice about the
"interim" or "gap" year possibilities is Neil
Bull, the founder and director of the Center for Interim Programs
and something of a guru in this field.
He meets with students who are considering a gap year and
then gives them a series of suggestions based on their wants and
needs. His web site is
www.interimprograms.com
Almost all colleges are impressed with the maturity that it
takes for an applicant to recognize that he or she would profit from
a gap year. Most schools
will allow you to defer your enrollment for a year if you request it
in the spring. The key
here is to make sure that you apply and get accepted to colleges
during your senior year. Do
not decide that you are going to take a gap year and then wait to
apply to colleges in the year after you graduate.
You want to have your college decisions in hand before you
decide to take a year off. You
will not be able to have the kind of experience that you are hoping
for if you have to spend your year off investigating and applying to
schools.
Another
alternative is a post-graduate year.
Students who are dissatisfied with their college
acceptances in the past have considered a post-graduate year.
There are a number of very strong post-graduate programs,
especially at the northeastern prep schools. This
is especially effective for students who feel that they need more
maturity before they go on to college.
Miscellaneous -- but important -- Policies
·
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION:
On recommendation forms and counselor forms, students can
waive their right of access. While
this is a choice, we strongly encourage students to waive that
right. Admission Offices
will weigh more seriously what writers say if the student has waived
his or her right. Parents
or other interested parties do not have access to confidential
counselor or teacher recommendations.
·
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS: All
official transcripts and recommendations will be mailed directly
from the school. No
official transcript or recommendation will be given to a student or
parent.
·
COLLEGE VISITING DAYS:
Students are granted two days in the junior year and three
days in the senior year when they may miss class to visit colleges
with the permission of both their teachers and college counselor.
The college counseling office reserves the right to refuse
permission for a student to skip class to visit a school if they do
not think that the student has a genuine interest in the school.
·
REPORTING SENIOR GRADES:
For Regular Decision candidates, Burroughs will send the
first semester grades as soon as they are available.
Following graduation, Burroughs will send an official
transcript to the one college where you have made a deposit.