College Counseling

The college application process is widely known to be a stressful process. At St. Lucy's Priory High School, we do all that we can do help reduce the stress and make this as fun of a process as possible. We've developed a four-year comprehensive, counseling model that works. With our approach, students and their families have plenty of time to plan, prepare, and apply. Our track record speaks for itself. Our seniors regularly receive multiple offers of admission to nationally recognized colleges and universities globally.

Testing

Every fall, the freshmen take the EdSeries test, and sophomores and juniors take the PSAT. Sometime in December, juniors will then take a practice ACT test so that they can evaluate the differences between the SAT and ACT tests to determine which one is best for them. This will help juniors

Mr. Rakowski will make sure that information concerning required college entrance tests are available to students when needed.

EdSeries Test

The EdSeries test and their seven subtest in the areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies are a good measuring stick for academic achievement, and helps the school identify students that may need additional counseling or support throughout their time at St. Lucy's.

Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)

The PSAT/NMSQT is administered to all sophomores and juniors each October. This test is a variation of the College Board SAT Reasoning Skills, one of two aptitude tests required by most four-year colleges and universities. This test measures ability in critical reading, mathematics and writing skills. The PSAT helps students prepare for the SAT that is usually taken in the junior and/or senior year. The PSAT/NMSQT is required of all juniors who wish to seek recognition and financial awards through the scholarship program administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

College Visits

In the fall, St. Lucy’s hosts college visits in order for our students to become better acquainted with a variety of colleges, and to discover the wonderful opportunities those institutions have to offer. Students must sign up for those information sessions through their Naviance account and must commit to attending. The representatives that hold information sessions are the admissions staff that will be evaluating the student’s applications, so it is a great way to make an impression.

Colleges and Universities wanting to schedule a virtual visit can do so using RepVisits.

Freshman Year

This year is all about settling into St. Lucy’s. During this year, Regents will be encouraged to focus on their grades and to start exploring extracurricular activities. Students will learn that Freshman year won’t make or break their college chances and how it can provide a strong foundation for future success in high school through intentional and appropriate course selection, exploration of their passions and interests, and by becoming familiar with their strengths and areas of growth. Mr. Rakowski will provide introductory and informative updates through classroom presentations. Freshman will also be offered opportunities to use some of Naviance’s explorative self-discovery tools.

Sophomore Year

Building upon their freshman year experiences, students in 10th grade will continue to be pushed to become stronger academically. They will also continually be pushed to challenge themselves socially by trying new activities and seeking leadership or service opportunities. All sophomores will be encouraged to take the PSAT in October - a practice test for the SAT. The PSAT is mostly meant to serve as practice for the SAT, but it can also provide valuable feedback on the most important areas for the student to study for the SAT, and the highest performers can earn potential scholarship money to help pay for college. Course selection in the spring will be important for sophomores. The students that can, will be encouraged to push themselves to take more advanced classes heading into their junior year. Colleges like to start seeing students becoming more “settled in'' academically and starting to challenge themselves with more rigorous course selections during sophomore year.

Junior Year

Junior year: This year is probably the most important year to the college admissions part of the high school experience and is going to be the first year that you and your student are really encouraged to engage with me fully. There are several activities that all juniors will be encouraged to participate in:

All juniors should take the PSAT in October. The benefits are the same as why they would take it their sophomore year. Practicing as much as possible sets them up for the best chance of success and further financial aid.
Junior College Night for students and their families. During this evening you will be introduced to the College Application process that is just around the corner and you will receive tips on how you can start the college exploration process to start developing a list of schools you may want to apply to. You can expect several guest speakers from colleges.
All juniors are encouraged to start attending college visits in the Counseling Center. This is a great way to learn more about various colleges around the world.
Spring Case Studies program - This program will be for both parents and students and we will be joined by several guest admissions professionals from various colleges. During this program, participants are placed in small "admissions committees" to review three candidates with one of the guest admissions officers. As a group, you review all aspects of the application and determine how the candidates compare to the university profile in order to decide who should be admitted, denied, and wait-listed. This is a great way to learn more about what colleges are looking for in an applicant, and gives the students an opportunity to evaluate their own strengths, skills, and qualities and how to best convey them in their college applications.
Summer College Bootcamps - In this program, students will have the opportunity to participate in a short, three-day college bootcamp that helps them focus on college list development, essay writing, and general tips to prepare them for completing their applications. There will be one in the beginning of the summer and one near the end. There is a fee attached to the program and there will be a limit on the number of students that participate in the program. I will be leading the program and will be joined by other industry professionals.

Director of College Counseling

Regent Student Center

School Code: 051075