“Walker’s is [what prepared] me to go out into the world.”
College Counseling
In the College Counseling office, our goal is to provide students with direction and support through the college search and application process.
While the process of preparing for college begins the minute a student enrolls at Walker's, the formal process begins in earnest in February of junior year with Junior Family Weekend. Intended for both students and their parents, this program includes a presentation by a panel of college admissions professionals, a financial aid workshop, and other sessions that address various aspects of the college application process. At this time, students are also given access to Family Connection, a web-based college counseling tool that helps students search for colleges and assess suitability.
This program is followed by a series of workshops and individual meetings with juniors throughout the year, then again in the fall and winter of senior year. Juniors attend a college fair in April sponsored by the independent schools in the greater Hartford area, which attracts well over 150 colleges and universities from all over the country. In the fall, admissions officers from over 100 colleges will visit Walker's to meet with interested students.
Each student works with the Director of College Counseling, who will help guide her and her family through the college admissions process. The College Counseling Office has information on specific colleges, scholarship and financial aid programs, and standardized tests. The Ethel Walker School is also a test center for the SAT.
The goal by the end of junior year is for each student to have developed a list of appropriate colleges and universities that meet her goals and abilities so that summer visits may be made.
While students will be guided and supported throughout the process, they will be equipped to assume responsibility for a large part of the process themselves. By playing an active role in the selection and application process, students are far more likely to enroll at colleges that are good matches for them. We will communicate with parents at several points throughout the process, and invite them to contact our office whenever necessary.
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Walker's Centennial
– Danielle, ‘10
