College Counseling: FAQs

Q. Shouldn’t my son or daughter be doing something about colleges in the III or IV Form year?

A. The best thing they can do for their college process in the III and IV Form years (and for that matter in their V and VI Form years as well) is to engage as fully as they can in their course work and in their extra-curricular activities. III and IV Form students should consult with their parents, teachers, advisors and college counselors about any interests they develop and  how they can become involved in them.

Q. What is the best curriculum to follow with college applications in mind?

A. Students should elect to take courses that are appropriately challenging at every step of their time at St. Mark’s. Colleges will be familiar with our curriculum so they will evaluate our students within the context of our program. Doing well in the most challenging program a student can handle and be successful in is ideal. AP classes are typically the highest level courses a student can take at St. Mark’s and we offer over 20.
Most underclassmen and many VI Formers have no clear idea of the kind of college they want to attend nor their intended major or minor. Faculty advisors work closely with students and their families to select an academic course program befitting their needs and meeting the St. Mark’s diploma requirements. Many times throughout a students’ career at St. Mark’s, faculty advisors, families and the student confer with the college counselors to seek advice and to ensure the students courses position them for the kind of college they hope to attend.

Q. When does the formal college counseling process start?

A. While the resources in the college office are made available to students the day they arrive at St. Mark’s, the formal college counseling process starts in February of the V Form year during V Form Weekend. Shortly after the two day event, students are assigned to one of the two counselors. Students are expected to meet with their designated counselor 3 to 5 times before the end of the school year. 

Q. Does St. Mark’s offer SAT preparation?

A. St. Mark’s has always offered SAT “familiarization”, and will continue to do so.  Both the Math Department and the English Department have offered a couple of voluntary sessions designed to familiarize students with the kinds of questions that they can expect to see on standardized tests and to offer them some basic test taking strategy.  We feel that students who know what to expect when they take the SAT will feel less anxiety about the tests. 

Traditionally, St. Mark’s has not offered formal SAT prep, because we feel that the best time to do SAT prep is over the summer or during vacation time.  We know that St. Markers are very busy and we do not want to add more to their already busy schedules by adding SAT prep.  We also know that the most important part of a student’s college application is their transcript.  Colleges will always look first at a student’s grades and the rigor of their curriculum, and we fear that the time demands of a good SAT prep course during the academic year could result in a student spending less time on their regular academic work.

However, realizing that not all students have access to SAT prep over the summer or during breaks, St. Mark’s will offer SAT Prep through Summit Educational Group.  This will be offered annually to juniors starting after the winter break and continuing through to the May SATs.  Students may either request one-on-one tutoring or an SAT Prep class of four to five students.  Both the individual tutoring and the classes will take place on Sunday afternoons.  Students will be billed through Summit Educational Group and financial aid is available for students taking the SAT classes.

Q. When do students take standardized tests?

A. We do not encourage students to take any standardized tests in the IV Form year, as we have found that students generally do not perform as well as they hope for and begin worrying about the college process unnecessarily early. On occasion, a faculty member may recommend a IV Former take a particular subject test because they feel the student should excel. The Director of Testing and Tutoring then assists the student in registering for the SAT Subject Test. Click here to learn more about standardized testing at St. Mark’s.

Q. How important are the SATs in the college process?

A. Colleges usually review at a student’s academic record first. They are looking for good grades in courses that are appropriately challenging for that student. At the most selective colleges the average verbal and math scores for the entering class are exceptionally high, which establishes a threshold for acceptance to these schools.

Q. How many times should a student take the SATs?

A. Most St. Markers take the SAT Reasoning Test two or three times. Most will take two SAT Subject Tests. It is important for the student to consult with the Director of Testing and Tutoring and the college counselors and discuss taking the test multiple times.

Q. Do many students take the ACT?

A. Relatively few St. Markers take the ACT but that number is growing slowly. Many students take the ACT in the hope that they will do better than they did on the SAT. The colleges use conversion tables to translate ACT scores into SAT scores and vice versa. We find that most students get approximately the same scores.

Q. What is Family Connection?

Family Connection is a web based module within an application called Counselor’s Office developed by Naviance. Counselor’s Office allows the college office to manage and organize a student’s college application process. From the initial search process to submitting transcripts and recommendations, Counselor’s Office facilitates the filing of applications for students, parents and St. Mark’s.

Family Connection offers secure, personalized websites for students and parents. Within the individually tailored site, students and parents can research schools, create final lists of schools, access important information, documents, and articles about college admissions. Through Family Connection, users gain perspective on college selectivity and see how St. Mark’s students have fared during the application process.

Q. When do parents and students gain access to Family Connection?
 
A. During V Form Weekend, parents and students will be handed informational packets which includes a registration code to Family Connection. The registration code allows each student and parent to establish username and passwords to gain access to the student’s personalized page.

Q. When should students start to file applications?

A. In early September, students meet with their counselors to discuss their “final” lists and start the application filing process. During the fall, students meet with their counselors as much as needed and also have the opportunity to meet college admission representatives visiting St. Mark’s. Ideally, by mid to late October, students have finalized their list of schools and can start the application process. If a student elects to apply using the Early Action or Early Decision plans, their applications will be due in early to mid November. Those pursuing admission through the regular deadlines will need to file applications in January and in some cases, early February.

Q. What is the difference between Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision and Rolling Admission?

A. Colleges and universities have different application plans and deadlines so please check with each school.

Early Action - allows students to apply for admission in the fall and notified of a decision within 30 days. Students accepted under this plan have until May 1 to respond to the admission offer.

Early Decision - students must file applications in the fall and if admitted, must enroll at that school. Early Decision is a binding process so students must withdraw their applications to any other school. Students may be accepted, deferred or denied during either Early Action or Early Decision plans. If deferred, a student’s application will be evaluated with the overall candidate pool.

Regular Decision - This is a college or university’s final application deadline. Most schools will have regular decision deadlines of January 1 or 15, although a few may spill into February. Most students will file applications under this deadline. Admission decisions under this plan are made by April 1 and students must respond to the offer by May 1. Under this plan an applicant may be accepted, wait listed or denied.

Rolling Admission – Schools using this plan accept applications throughout the academic year. Applicants are evaluated as soon as their files are complete and are notified within a few weeks. A response is typically expected from the student by May 1. Financial aid funds may be exhausted earlier in the year at schools using rolling admission so check with someone in the admission office.

Q. Are my chances for admission greater if I apply early decision?

A. Deciding to apply early decision to a school requires a great deal of thought, research and conversation. Students contemplating this option should discuss this with their families and their college counselors. By applying to a school using early decision, you’re telling the school it is No. 1 on your list. Colleges and universities are just as selective with their early decision pools as they are with their regular decision pool. Remember this is a binding process so if admitted you must enroll. Before applying early decision ask yourself the following:

• Have I researched and visited enough colleges to know this is my top choice?
• Is my academic profile competitive enough to be admitted?
• Is financial aid a significant factor in my decision?
• Does the school offer everything I am looking for?

If you can’t thoroughly and honestly answer these questions, you may not be ready to apply early decision.

Q. What forms are required in applying for financial aid?

A. Just about very college and university require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available on January 1. This application determines eligibility for federally funded grants and loans. In addition, most colleges (but not all) require the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile. This application requires a processing fee and is available in the fall.

Please check with each school as some may require additional documentation to determine financial aid eligibility and for deadlines! Your college counselor will be happy to help with this process.

Q. What if I want to apply early decision and need financial aid?

A. If you are absolutely certain you found you’re top choice, then apply regardless of your need. Most colleges will require you to file the CSS Profile with your admission application. In January when the FAFSA becomes available, you will need to file it too. If admitted under early decision, colleges will do all it can to provide you with the resources to attend; as long as all documentation required is provided.

Q. What is the NCAA Clearinghouse?

A. The National Collegiate Athletic Association Clearinghouse was created to uphold academic standards of college athletes. A clearinghouse form must be completed for any student thinking about competing at a Division I or Division II school. The form must be submitted with a St. Mark’s transcript by the end of the V Form year.

It is important to discuss a student’s eligibility with the Clearinghouse with the college counselors.

Q. How does the application process differ for international students?

A. Students who are not US citizens of Permanent Residents (Green Card holders) are able to apply to American colleges and universities as international students. Since most schools are eager to enroll a diverse student body, an international student application will be given serious consideration. A key factor in evaluating international student applications is the need for financial aid. For students who are not US citizens or Permanent Residents, institutional need based aid is scarce (international students are not eligible for federal aid as determined through the FAFSA) and most schools may not have the financial resources to fund international students. Typically, admission to international students is contingent upon the submission of a statement of financial resources, completed by the family and verified by a bank. 

Q. Any general advice or do’s or don’ts to help parents cope with the stress of the college process?

A. Keep your sense of humor.
Have faith in the outstanding quality of tertiary education in the US.
Know that the process has not only changed drastically and grown more competitive since you applied to college, but has changed dramatically in the last few years.
Remember that this is about your child.
Allow your child to take some ownership in the process – this is about their growing independence!
Know your child – know when he or she needs a pat on the back, or a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a pep talk, or a little bit of nagging.
Be a safe haven in a process that can be a bit of a storm.