Planning Your College Search

List of 4 items.

• First Year & Summer

  Students:
  

  • • Focus on your transition to Archmere academically and socially.
    • Seek assistance when necessary in the classroom, as ninth-grade performance will be seen and considered by college admission offices.
    • Identify opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities and leadership experiences.
    • Be active and engaged inside and out of the classroom.
    • Talk with your School Counselor at course scheduling time about your four-year academic plan.
    • Attend an optional Six Lives career exercise during work period.
    • Attend College Counseling’s evening Why Career Series program (Engineering, Health Sciences, Business) if interested.

   
  Parents/Caregivers:
  

  • • Be aware of students’ classroom performance.
    • Support involvement in activities inside and outside of school.
    • Attend a College Counseling program, if interested.
    • Attend First Year/Sophomore Parent College Night. 
    • Attend College Counseling’s evening Why Career Series program (Engineering, Health Sciences, Business). 
    • Inquire about your student's choice of classes for their sophomore year.
    • Review end of year grades with your student.

   
  College Counseling:
  

  • • Available by email and phone for questions.
    • Stresses that the most important item in the first year is a strong academic transition at the first year class meeting.
    • Provides a gentle introduction to the college process as an entire class and small group programming.
    • Offers families College Counseling programming specific to first-year families and invites students and families to other appropriate programming.
    • Attend Early Financial Aid Night webinar.
    • Provides 30-minute optional summer meetings after first-year with agenda and discussion points set by the family.
    • Provides a summer program resource guide for interested students and families.

• Sophomore Year & Summer

  Students:

  • • Focus on performing at your best in the classroom.  Seek out assistance early on in courses that may seem overly challenging.
    • Feed your interests and stay involved!
    • Take the Pre-ACT test in October.  Use these scores to identify areas of testing that are strengths or weaknesses that might influence preparation for future ACT or SAT tests.
    • Consider activities that you may have put aside in your first year because of time concerns.
    • Attend Test-Prep Night.
    • Attend Junior Class College Panel evening, if interested.
    • If interested, take the free practice SAT and/or ACT offered by College Counseling in December and January.
    • Explore CIALFO, access will be given to you early in the second semester.
      
      • Complete available exercises that will give some insight into potential careers, college majors, and college and university preferences.
      • Complete worksheet that encourages you to explore CIALFO and a school.
    • Identify schools you would like to explore and qualities of those schools that make them attractive.
      
      • We recommend visiting a 2-4 contrasting college campuses during a spring break or summer vacation, if possible. After visits discuss the qualities that were appreciated and not appreciate in colleges.
    • Identify schools you would like to explore and think about the qualities of those schools that make them attractive. Request schools from College Counseling that meet certain criteria or variables you are looking for.
    • Attend an optional Six Lives career exercise during work period.
    • Attend the Young Alumni Career Panel.
    • Attend the DAIS Wilmington Case Study and DAIS College Fair program in May or other college fairs that will be advertised by College Counseling.
    • Create a testing plan with your family for the SATs and/or ACTs.   We recommend seeking the counsel of your College Counselor after this initial discussion.
    • Select a course load that challenges you to work hard and is as rigorous as you can take while still being successful.
    • Attend College Counseling’s Why Career Series programming (Health Science, Business, Engineering) if interested.
    • Schedule an optional spring meeting with your college counselor (assigned prior to Spring Break) to discuss course selection or other college search related questions.
    • We recommend visiting 2-4 contrasting college campuses during a spring break or summer vacation, if possible. After visits, discuss the qualities that were appreciated and not appreciated.
    • Make it a constructive summer.  Consider an experience that is meaningful: summer job, enrichment program, a college course, volunteering.
      
      • Prepare for SAT/ACTs through online resources or other opportunities.

   

  Parents/Caregivers:

  • • Review Pre-ACT scores with your student and ask questions of College Counselor and School Counselor, if appropriate.
    • Attend appropriate College Counseling programming.
    • Discuss the characteristics of colleges and universities with your student.  Promote the exploration process and discuss parameters that might influence where your child can enroll. Students may struggle to articulate their priorities – and trial and error with visits is absolutely an acceptable strategy.
    • Attend Test-Prep Night.
    • Ask your student to show you CIALFO and explore with them.  See what colleges they have added to their Longlist.
      
      • Ask students to show you their assessment results in regards to types of intelligence and Myers-Briggs that also included information about potential careers or majors.
    • Attend First-Year/Sophomore Parent College Coffee (virtual).
    • Attend First-Year/Sophomore Parent College Night.
    • Encourage and support your student to schedule a few college visits in the spring and summer months.
    • Attend the DAIS Wilmington Case Study program and DAIS College Fair in May or other local college fairs which will be advertised by College Counseling.
    • Discuss with your student a testing plan for the SATs and/or ACTs.  A plan should include when a student will take the tests, which tests they will take, and how they will prepare for them.
    • Discuss constructive summer plans with your student.
    • Attend the Early Financial Aid webinar.
    • Attend College Counseling’s evening Why Career Series (Engineering, Business, Health Science).
    • Ask your student if they are signing up for an optional spring meeting with their college counselor.
    • Consider and discuss test preparation with your child.  Note: this does not require a paid service.
    • Contact College Counseling with questions.

   

  College Counseling:

  • • Available for questions.
    • Provides guidance for testing timeline and resources to the class and individual students upon request.
    • Communicates with students and families on a regular basis about programming and current events in the landscape of college admissions.
    • Provides students and families with the opportunity to have access to college admission professionals.
    • Provide students with resources for summer enrichment programs - college programs, college courses, volunteer opportunities, and other options.
    • Assign students a college counselor in the spring and provide the opportunity for optional meetings.
    • Available for feedback concerning testing, academic scheduling, and activities as they relate to college admission.
    • Provide students and parents with a summer checklist of recommended items to complete prior to the end of break.
    • Provide 30-minute optional summer meetings after sophomore year with an agenda and discussion points set by the family.

• Junior Year & Summer

  Students:

  • • Be prepared for an important academic year, get off to a good start and maintain commitment for the entire year. 
    • Seek out opportunities outside the classroom that are rewarding and enriching.
    • Take PSAT/National Merit Scholarships Qualifying Test (NMSQT) in October.
    • Attend meetings at Archmere throughout the fall with college admission representatives from schools you might be interested in. 
    • Take practice SAT and/or ACT offered by Archmere or through another provider.
    • Schedule visits to schools that interest you and share experiences with your College Counselor, we ask that all students have completed 2-4 visits by late November.
    • Attend College Counseling’s Why Career Series College Visit.
    • Attend Junior Class College Panel Night (required).
    • Meet with your College Counselor for an introductory meeting in November, December, or January. (required)
    • Begin Junior College Seminar Class during the first cycle of spring semester. (required)
    • Complete “Junior Reflections”, your first questionnaire, at the start of second semester.
    • Attend the Young Alumni Career Panel.
    • Attend Junior Career Day.
    • We recommend that you sign up for at least one SAT or ACT test before the summer.  Please seek counsel from your College Counselor if you have questions about which test and what date you should register for.
    • Attend a family meeting with your College Counselor scheduled by parents during the second semester (required). Review follow-up email to assist with college search plan through the summer.
    • Update CIALFO Longlist with schools that you are interested in.
    • Schedule spring semester college visits.
    • Consider attending local college fairs (PACAC Fair @Villanova [May], DAIS College Fair @St. Marks [March], NACAC College Fair @Philadelphia Convention Center [October])
    • Create a Common Application account (in College Seminar).
    • Create a Self-Reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS) account  (in College Seminar).
    • Request teacher recommendation letters and enter into CIALFO (College Counseling will inform you when this is appropriate).
    • Attend College Counseling’s evening Why Career Series (Business, Health Sciences, Engineering).
    • Attend College Counseling programming.
    • Complete “Junior Reflections 2.0”, your second questionnaire, at the end of the second semester.
    • Complete Junior English essay assignment and submit to College Counselor for feedback.
    • Register for summer testing if applicable.
    • Select a senior schedule that prepares you for success in college, sends a positive message to a college admission office, and is as rigorous as possible.
    • Attend DAIS Wilmington Case Study program in May.
    • When asked in late June, move schools from your Longlist to your Shortlist so your College Counselor can do categorizations.
    • Be very productive over the summer. Seek out opportunities to explore majors and careers (summer program, work-place shadowing, career/curiosity conversation). Other excellent opportunities: summer employment, travel, volunteering, summer reading lists, investing more time in your talents.
    • Over summer, complete the Common Application essay.  Visit colleges.  Prepare for late summer/fall testing.
    • After August 1 –
      • Continue and complete working on school portions of the Common Application.
      • Schedule a senior check-in meeting with your College Counselor.
      • Your prospective college list must become more concrete.
      • Make final decisions on which colleges you are applying to, and how you are applying.
      • Begin working on your “Aukology”, your third and final questionnaire, which is due at your senior check-in or in your first senior seminar class, whichever comes first.
      • Attend essay and mock interview programming.

   

  Parents/Caregivers:

  • • Attend Junior Parent Night.
      
      • You will receive access to your student’s CIALFO account.
    • Provide reinforcement and guidance to your student with the understanding that this is an exploration period to determine what types of post-secondary settings will be best for them.
    • Complete a Net Price College Calculator on a college website to preview what the financial expectation is for your family.
    • Set aside time to visit colleges throughout the year and encourage your student to do the scheduling.
    • Attend Junior Parent College Night in December or January (one parent required to attend one of the programs). (required)
    • Schedule a family meeting with your College Counselor during the second semester. Review email follow-up with your student. (required)
    • Discuss, agree to, and understand when your student is taking the SATs and ACTs.  We recommend students take at least one test prior to the end of the junior year. Registration is generally required at least one month prior to the testing date. 
      
      • If appropriate, have conversations with a Learning Specialist if accommodations are required for standardized testing which should be done well in advance (2+ months) of registration deadlines.
    • Ask questions of the College Counseling Office whenever you have them. 
    • Attend DAIS Wilmington Case Studies Night and DAIS College Fair in May, especially if you were not able to attend the previous year. Other college fair opportunities are the PACAC Fair at Villanova in May and the NACAC Fair at the Philadelphia Convention Center in October (this will be the largest).
    • Recommend that your student be productive over the summer (see student section for options).
    • Familiarize yourself with the FAFSA and CSS Profile financial aid forms.
    • Have a conversation with your student about summer and fall college visits.

   

  College Counseling:

  • • Available for questions.
    • Provide through College Seminar courses, programming, and other communications a clear understanding of the landscape of the college application process and college admissions. 
    • Provide proper perspective for students and families in regards to the college admission process.
    • Advise students and families on the differences in college experiences and encourage students to explore different opportunities that might match their post-secondary needs. 
    • Supply, at the request of a student or parents, additional schools that might be a good match for a student’s interests.
    • With discretion, provide professional feedback on the potential college choices of a student.
    • Make sure all students are prepared for the college application process and understand what will be expected of them, and when.
    • Sign off on senior course selection and inform students on how their decisions might affect their college application decisions. 
    • Provide parents and students with a summer checklist of recommended items to complete during break.
    • Make summer enrichment program information available through a Google Doc.
    • Carry out programming that provides students and families with different mediums to learn more about the college search and application process.
    • During the summer, identify schools on a student’s list as likely, target, and reach to permit students to understand if their list is balanced.
    • The office is open 12 months for insight, feedback, and professional opinions on all things college search and admissions.
    • Review and critique college essays over the summer, as well as answer questions regarding Common Application, Coalition Application, and more.

• Senior Year

  Students:

  • • Attend the Senior Family College Night the week before school starts. (required)
    • Complete summer/early fall Check-In Meeting with College Counselor. (required)
    • Complete the fall meeting with the College Counselor and parent(s) to begin to finalize your college list and application strategy. (required)
    • Complete “Aukology”, the final senior questionnaire. (required)
    • Organize your college list and understand what each school requires of you and their deadlines.  You should intend to apply to between 6 to 10 schools, depending on the balance of your list (the Archmere average is 7 schools per student).  You should have at least 2-3 Likely schools, 4-6 Target schools, and 0-3 Reach schools on your list (identified by your College Counselor in July).
    • Register for SATs or ACTs, if applicable.
    • Complete transcript/recommendation request forms at least one month prior to application deadlines.
    • Check on CIALFO to make sure that information is entered and submitted.
    • Understand that your senior year performance will be shared with the colleges that you apply to after the first semester, and that the coursework you are completing is preparing you for college success.  It may also provide you with an opportunity for college credit!
    • Attend Senior College Seminar class once a cycle. (required)
    • Meet with college representatives from the schools you are interested in during their visit to Archmere.
    • Complete first, second, or even third visits to schools of interest.
    • Consider attending a college fair (NACAC Fair at Philadelphia Convention Center in October and PACAC Delaware County Fair at PSU Brandywine in September), local prospective college programming, or other opportunities to show interest in the schools on your list.
    • Request, from the testing service, that your scores be forwarded to the colleges you intend to apply to at least one month prior to deadlines. If you are unsure if you should use your scores, be sure to speak to your college counselor.
    • Review and respond when necessary to any communications from the College Counseling Office.
    • Schedule interviews with schools that welcome the opportunity.  Prepare for interviews with College Counseling.
    • Complete school-specific essays well in advance of application deadlines in order to get feedback from a college counselor.
    • Meet with a college counselor prior to early application deadlines to revisit the list and discuss application submissions.
    • Submit applications in advance of deadlines; we recommend 3-5 days early!
    • If requested, complete the  SRAR (Self-Reported Academic Record) and submit it in advance of deadlines.
    • Remind parents of financial aid deadlines.
    • Attend the Senior Career Networking program.
    • Schedule return visits to top-choice schools.
    • Update your College Counselor on any changes to your college application plan.
    • Check emails from Colleges and application portals to track your application status.
    • Submit quarter grades to colleges, if desired.  Complete the necessary steps to request College Counseling to send these out, which will be emailed and discussed in College Seminar.
    • Search for scholarship opportunities through the resources provided and submit applications by the deadlines.  If a transcript and/or recommendations are required, that request must be made at least one month prior to the deadline via a Scholarship Form.
    • As decisions arrive, be respectful and mindful of your classmates and seek counsel when needed.
    • Inform College Counseling of all application decisions.
    • Make the final college decision by May 1 by sending an enrollment deposit to one school. 
    • Thank everyone who assisted you in this journey, including teachers (specifically those who wrote recommendations) and your family.
    • Complete Graduation Survey on CIALFO.
    • Wear your college t-shirt to the College Decision Day Celebration!
    • Enjoy graduation and end-of-year celebrations. Reflect on your accomplishments and memories.
    • Do great!

   

  Parents/Caregivers:

  • • Attend the Senior Family College Night the week before school starts. (required)
    • Log onto CIALFO and review the student's Shortlist.
    • Discuss the fall testing plan with your student.
    • Attend the Fall Family College Meeting with your student and review the follow-up email. (required)
    • Discuss with your student what types of application process they intend on using – Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, or Rolling Decision. Early Decision applications will require a signed ED Agreement with parent approval. Review student’s application plan (spreadsheet in CC26 folder).
    • Contact the College Counseling Office with questions, concerns, or for clarification.
    • Attend the Financial Aid webinar.
    • Review schools on your student’s list that require the CSS Profile and the school’s deadline.
    • Submit FAFSA and CSS Profile, if required.
    • Support your student in times of potential great stress.  Emphasize with them that a college application decision is nothing other than a decision based upon numbers, not a declaration of worth. They will more than likely receive good and bad news, reacting unpredictably to both.  Tell them that you are proud of them and excited for their futures!
    • Be available to make final visits for accepted student programs, scholarship interviews, and special invite programs during the spring.
    • Review application decisions with your student and assist them in making a decision that is best for their future.  Reach out to College Counseling for professional and unbiased feedback.
    • Celebrate the decision and completion of a long and successful process.
    • Enjoy the season of celebrations with your family – especially graduation!

   

  College Counseling Office:

  • • Available for questions.
    • Inform students if their college lists are balanced and communicate concerns.
    • Provide a Senior College Seminar curriculum that timely addresses and educates students on application requirements and best practices.
    • Give feedback on college essays when provided the appropriate time to do so.
    • Offer students mock interview opportunities with a counselor, a guest from a college, or an alumni interviewer.
    • Research and communicate with schools regarding any unanswered questions that families may have about a college.
    • Be involved in regional and national professional organizations that will keep staff current and educated, and permit networking and relationship building with college admission professionals. 
    • Advocate for all students with representatives.
    • Write an individualized and unique college recommendation letter for each student.
    • Submit, per the request of the student, a student’s transcript, recommendations, and Archmere profile.
    • Submit the Mid-Year Report to all colleges that a student has applied to.
    • Host Senior College Coffees to mark milestones, celebrate accomplishments, and provide opportunities for questions and concerns.
    • Provide students and families with the pros and cons of potential application decisions. 
    • Remind students of general deadlines.
    • Follow up with colleges at the student’s request concerning documentation being received.
    • Provide resources for scholarship searches and assistance when requested.
    • Be available to review financial aid awards with families.
    • Be available to help a student consider their different options and make their final decision.
    • Support all students in their decisions and celebrate everyone’s successes.
    • Organize a College Decision Celebration!
    • Send final transcripts to one school that the student lists on their Graduation Survey as their enrolled school.