This year, the College Counseling Office (CCO) kicked off its process with Uppers in December, starting with meetings in small groups. This marks a return to the timeline they used previously, in which the process started before winter break rather than after. As of now, students have begun meeting with their counselors individually and researching colleges.
Taylor Ware, Associate Director of College Counseling, clarified the CCO’s rationale behind determining their logistics and timeline. She explained that December would be the earliest time counselors could shift their focus from Seniors to Uppers.
“When we get back from November break, [Seniors are] heading into the last stretch of application deadlines, and so just as Uppers will want the CCO’s focus to be on them next December when it’s their Senior fall, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense for us to try to start in December with Uppers. We really want to be fully present and accessible to our Seniors as they’re getting to that last push of the applications,” said Ware.
Maddie Soong ’27 expressed their appreciation for the earlier start to the college counseling process, noting that the CCO introduces several aspects of the admissions process that students might otherwise learn later.
“It was good to know that we weren’t just gonna be left in the dark because as [the deadline] gets closer, you start to worry. I didn’t know you’re supposed to take the SAT and the ACT this year, so stuff like that, where if the deadline passes, you can’t really go back and do it. It’s good to get some guidance, even if you don’t have to do anything right now,” said Soong.
Robert Budzinski ’26 acknowledged that the college counseling process seemed daunting for most students at first. He reflected on how the process benefited him in ways that differed from his initial expectations.
“The general reception among Uppers, at least in my grade, when we got [our first email] was like, ‘Oh no, we have to start this now.’ Everyone was a little bit scared because the whole process has a menacing reputation in a way, and then people are scared [that their] college counselor is going to tell me that I can’t apply to X school or things like that. I didn’t necessarily experience any of that,” said Budzinski.
Budzinski continued, “I did feel like I was being underestimated at some points, but that’s a natural thing that they make sure everyone is safe [and that] everyone can go to a college… And as the process went on, the feedback got more and more positive, to [the point] where I felt like the entire CCO, not just my counselor, believed in me.”
Lisa de Boer ’26 suggested that the CCO expand its range of counselors to better reflect the challenges faced by certain student groups during the application process. She elaborated that international students applying for financial aid often receive limited guidance due to counselors’ limited knowledge or experience.
“I really wish that they did match up college counselors under certain criteria, especially for international students, because the process looks so different for international students in terms of financial aid [and] what you fill out on the form. For example, me and a lot of my friends who have been to international schools have a lot of trouble filling out these grading forms,” said de Boer.
Eloise Malle ’27 noted that the CCO could have provided more specific and targeted advice regarding college applications earlier on. She explained that many schools, including The Hotchkiss School, work to prepare students to navigate the process independently.
“At Hotchkiss, they have an entire day of college counseling where they have people who work in the admissions team of different colleges come and share what they look for in applications and what to think about when writing essays and things like that. I get that we might eventually get that guidance, but we haven’t yet,” said Malle.
