May, 2008

Dear Juniors and Parents of Juniors,

To continue our communication, your counselors, Mr. Rosenhaus, Mr. Flanagan and Abbot Giles, are currently meeting with the juniors on the following topics:

• While class changes can be made at the end of the summer or the beginning of the fall, once the initial computer run has taken place these changes will be difficult. Consequently, juniors are encouraged to take a second look at the courses they have chosen and make any changes they wish to make as soon as possible. AP class lists will be available after May 19^th.

• Final visits to colleges, which should include taking the tours and participating in the information sessions, should take place this summer. Yes, while some feel that college visits are more valuable when students are on campus, missing school days during the fall term of the senior year is not wise. We advise seniors who are going to apply early to a certain college to spend an overnight at that college in September and October, with the extended Columbus Day weekend probably being the best time for visiting. But spending too much time away from Delbarton during the fall can negatively affect the all important fall term GPA. In addition, for students who will be choosing their colleges in April, visits to the college campuses are most appropriate at that time and much easier for the about-to-graduate senior. Consequently, members of the Class of 2009 are encouraged to do their visiting during the summer. Indeed, some last minute visits will have to take place in December and January to those additional "safeties" or "long shots" which may be suggested by the fall term GPA and SATs, but these will be the exception rather than the norm.

• You must love your safeties; and you must visit and take the tour and information session at each "safety." At all of your schools, and most assuredly at your safeties, "Ghost Applicants" who never show up are more often then not wait-listed.

• Juniors should choose two teacher recommenders before the end of the school year. All juniors are asked to let Abbot Giles, Mr. Flanagan or Mr. Rosenhaus know who those two teachers are after they ask those teachers, and are welcome to consult with the counselors should they not be sure who to ask.

• Cumulative three year transcripts for the Class of 2009 will be available by late June in the counseling office. At that time we will forward these to coaches and others who have legitimate reasons to receive a student's transcript. Enclosed you will find a permission card that parents should fill out and return to us at their earliest convenience, giving us general permission to forward transcripts. Without this permission we are not legally permitted to send or give a transcript to anyone other then a student and his parents.

• We counselors have met with approximately 85% of the boys and their parents as of this date. These meetings usually take one and one-half hours, and, before the end of the school year, are best held on weekends or weekday evenings. Currently, meeting slots are available from Saturday morning through Monday night Memorial Day weekend. Parents who have not yet seen us for these extended and quite thorough meetings are invited to call Abbot Giles, Mr. Flanagan or Mr. Rosenhaus to arrange such a meeting as soon as possible.

• All juniors will receive a "brag sheet" at our class meeting in May. We will forward these brag sheets to the boys again in our mid-summer Update and they are available on the "College Counseling" page of the Delbarton website. Our hope is that the boys spend a fair amount of time in the latter part of August answering the questions on the "brag sheet" as thoroughly as possible. This exercise represents excellent remote preparation for writing college essays. When the counselors begin reviewing the "brag sheets" with members of the Class of 2009 at the beginning of September, they will both lead the students to learn more about themselves as well as increase their ability to draft cogent and effective college essays. At the end of September and the beginning of October, when the boys will know more about their priorities regarding college selection, the counselors, the senior year English teachers, and other faculty members here will help the seniors reflect on their responses and better prepare them for the exercise of college essay writing. At Delbarton, we feel that the boys should move through this process and compose their essay responses in mid October, if they are going to apply early, or late November/early December, if they are applying for the March admission decision. If they are applying early, students should prepare their college applications in September and October, not in August.

• Rather, the summer should be spent in extensive reading, travel, extensive language learning, work, camp counseling, community service, mountain climbing or other outdoor activities, and in other productive maturing activities. We feel that daily reading is the best preparation for the October SAT critical reading, and if SAT preparation is required (consult with the boy's counselors), that should begin in late August.

• All seniors should take the SAT Reasoning Test in October, and the SAT Reasoning Test again or the SAT Subject Tests in November.

• All information regarding college counseling at Delbarton, including appointment schedules, is available on our "College Counseling" web site: http://www.delbarton.org/OnCampus/Academics/ac_college_counseling.html

Please do not hesitate to be in touch with us should you have any questions. (Abbot Giles x3060, Mr. Rosenhaus x3012 and Mr. Flanagan x2340). Counselors will be available at Delbarton through the months of June and July, and will return here after vacation by the last week of August. Were you to call and not find us here, we will respond to your voice mail or e-mail message promptly throughout the summer. We are looking forward to working with you.