M I N D B O D Y H E A R T S P I R I T

Stuart HallCollegeCounselingProgram

The Right College for Every StudentPreparing for college admissions can be a daunting process, both for students and their parents. Colleges must be evaluated, tests taken, applications completed, and finances assembled. The Stuart Hall College

Counseling Program is designed to guide families through each step of this journey. When the time comes for our seniors to make their decisions, they will do so knowing they are making the right choice.

Visit us on the web: www.stuart-hall.org

E-mail us: admissions@stuart-hall.org

Call us: 540.885.0356 or 888.306.8926

Visit our Middle & High School campus: 235 West Frederick Street Staunton, Virginia

Visit our Lower School campus: 74 Quicks Mill Road Verona, Virginia 540.248.2404

DISCOVER HOW

STUART HALL

SCHOOL CAN LEAD

TO MORE FOR YOU

The College Counseling Office

T he College Counseling Program at Stuart Hall School is headed by an experienced

college counselor who leads a team of faculty advisors. This system assures that all our students receive personal attention at every stage of the decision-making process.

One of the important activities of the office is to gather firsthand information about the schools at the top of our students’ college lists. In recent years, members of the staff have visited over 70 college campuses, both in Virginia and in surrounding states, meeting with admissions officers and interviewing students and faculty.

We supplement these visits by maintaining a compre-hensive collection of college admissions materials from hundreds of schools around the nation, as well a full range of college guides and specialty publications on such topics as financial aid and test-taking. Students are invited to review these materials at any time.

Finding the Match

Our goal at the College Counseling Program is to help students narrow their choices to schools where they can pursue their interests successfully. This

means putting the student at the center of the process. We get to know every student personally, meeting with them frequently and conferring regularly with their teachers. At the same time, we encourage students to take advantage of the numerous self-inventory exercises we offer.

Together, we build a customized application strategy for each student that takes into account their interests, their academic performance, and their personalities. This is the primary reason for Stuart Hall’s 100% college placement rate.

Getting Students Thinking About College Early

Information is critical for students to make the good decisions about college.

Ample time is equally important. That’s why college preparation at Stuart Hall begins in the ninth grade. We hold class meetings for freshman on such topics as time management, the importance of AP and honors classes, and choosing courses carefully, and we compile an activities and honors resume for each student that they can update as needed. In addition, students in the ninth grade start taking the PSAT, which they will continue taking through the eleventh grade. By encouraging students to explore their college options early in their academic careers, we hope to minimize the stress they experience in their senior year.

During tenth grade and eleventh grade, students participate in small group sessions in the College Coun-seling office to discuss such issues as building a resume, researching colleges, and making the most of a college tour. Test preparation is another important activity, especially as students take either the SAT or the ACT exam at least once during their junior year. We offer the Princeton Review Assessment to help students decide which test to take and, in conjunction with the Princeton Review, host discounted test preparation programs for both exams.

Students begin their last year at Stuart Hall with the annual Senior Retreat, which includes essay brainstorming and mock admissions interviews. For the rest of their senior year, students will meet frequently with the college counselor as they complete their admissions and financial aid applications, write their essays, and practice for alumni interviews. As you would expect, the college counselor is always available to provide a sounding board when they make their ultimate decision.

A Personal Choice. Hundreds of Outcomes.

Where do Stuart Hall students go after gradua-tion? Everywhere. Because they’ve had the opportunity to consider the options and focus

their efforts on those schools that are a good fit, their choices truly reflect their diverse aptitudes and interests.

Arizona State University

Berklee College of Music

Boston College

Brandeis University

Brown University

Bryn Mawr College

Carnegie Mellon

Clemson University

College of William and Mary

Davidson College

Dickinson College

Duke University

Emory University

Fashion Institute of Technology

Fordham University

Georgetown University

Guilford College

Haverford College

Hollins University

Hood College

Indiana University

James Madison University

Manhattan School of Music

Maryland Institute College of Art

New England Conservatory

New York University

Northeastern University

New York University

Otis School of Design

Parsons School of Design

Princeton University

Rhode Island School of Design

School of Visual Arts

Seton Hall University

Swarthmore College

Tulane University

University of Alabama

University of Colorado

University of Georgia

University of Michigan

UNC-Chapel Hill

University of Richmond

University of the South (Sewanee)

University of Virginia

University of Wisconsin

Vanderbilt University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Tech

Wake Forest University

Washington and Lee University

Wellesley College

Yale University

“The college counselor

was incredibly valuable

in helping me decide

where to apply and which

college to choose. She

was available to us

24/7 for individual help

and attention.”

Ian WalshClass of 2010

“My favorite part of Stuart

Hall’s College Counseling

Program was having a

college visit during our

junior year. Being exposed

to college life inspired me

not only to study harder

for my SATs, but also to do

more research about the

types of college I wanted

to attend.”

Sarah McGinnis Class of 2008

Providing Insight and Information

Applying for college is almost a course in itself. There is much to learn, both for students and their parents, and Stuart Hall sponsors a number of

events that help families move deliberately and thought-fully through the process.

A number of these events are designed to help families refine their choices by exposing them to the range of college experiences. In March, the junior class takes a day trip to a large public university and a smaller private college to compare education in these two very different settings. In September, we help seniors broaden their search by taking students to the local college fair, where representatives of between 80 and 100 colleges are in attendance. And every fall, admissions officials from between 15 and 20 area colleges visit Stuart Hall, talking to students and giving them the opportunity to intro-duce themselves.

We also reach out to parents. Each February, we host a college night, where admissions professionals from regional institutions participate in a panel discussion and answer questions about such issues as financial aid, early admission, and advanced placement credit. In April, we sponsor a forum for the parents of juniors to prepare them for the upcoming year.