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 19th.
- 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.