College Counseling at The Governor’s Academy

Ninth graders receive their College Counselor assignment in their first semester on campus and are encouraged to seek their assigned College Counselor’s advice regarding sophomore year course selection and extracurricular pursuits. In their winter term all-class meeting, ninth graders consider their Governor’s experience to date, as well as the experience they hope to have and create.  Potentially recruited athletes receive specific guidance from their College Counselor, including advice regarding standardized testing.

In their winter term all-class meeting, sophomores continue to reflect on their Govs experience to date and learn the practical dimensions of the college search — i.e., a preliminary sense of what many colleges look for in their applicants and a preview of a suggested junior year standardized testing timeline. Parents and guardians of sophomores can attend an information session hosted by the College Counseling Office during Winter Family Weekend. In the spring, sophomores take a full SAT diagnostic exam and a full ACT diagnostic exam, giving them an early sense of their standardized testing strengths and weaknesses.

Juniors engage fully with their college search in December with an all-class “College Search Kick-off” meeting. At that meeting, juniors are introduced to key college search concepts, including the value of research, an overview of the online platforms the CCO uses to manage the college search and application process, and important dates and deadlines. Throughout the winter and spring, juniors meet individually with their College Counselor and attend our College Search Seminar Series, small group classes that introduce various aspects of the college search and application process. During Winter Family Weekend, the College Counseling Office hosts a discussion with an admission officer or dean at a highly selective university. In the spring, juniors develop a list of colleges that could be an appropriate match based on what they have learned in the College Search Seminar Series and in individual conversations with their College Counselor. Also, in the spring, juniors write a college essay draft, request college recommendations from their teachers, and begin to populate the Common Application.

Our College Counselors require seniors to finalize their college essay over the summer and submit a copy of their completed Common Application and college list before their first individual meeting in the fall. Counselors also host several Zoom sessions over the summer, helping seniors prepare for the busy fall application season. Throughout the fall, seniors meet with representatives from leading universities who visit the Govs campus. During this time, seniors have the opportunity to take the SAT and/or ACT exam in advance of early and regular decision application deadlines in November, December, and January. By the May 1 national college deposit deadline, seniors are wrapping up the college process by accepting an offer of admission from a college or university.