College Counseling

Helping Each Girl Find the Right Fit

At Oldfields, college counseling is an in-depth, detailed process which helps each senior find the college, university, or post-graduate career path that fits her best. Along with the college counselor, each Oldfields senior takes responsibility for her higher education plan.

The process begins junior year, when students meet weekly with the Director of College Counseling in small groups. They explore educational and career interests, create resumés, learn about different types of colleges and college environments, and discuss every element of the application process, including interviewing, standardized testing, and the components of an application. In the winter, juniors meet with their college counselor individually, to develop their college lists. In April, the students attend a college fair of more than 200 colleges and universities. Admissions representatives from 40 colleges and universities visit Oldfields each year. 

A tour of select colleges and universities on the East Coast with college counselors is also offered to sophomores and juniors as part of the May Program . By the end of junior year, students leave for summer break with a short list of colleges and universities in which they are interested. Senior year, students meet with their college counselor one-on-one, as a class for an application workshop day in October, and on a drop-in basis. The college counselor’s door is always open, and support is available until each senior has completed her application process.

Open and frequent communication with parents and families is also key. Parents may attend a Fall Family Weekend college session, schedule on-campus meetings with the college counselor, or communicate by phone or email. Each family receives a senior mid-year prediction letter with the counselor's assessment of the student's chances of admission to the colleges to which she has applied. Each senior is provided access to Naviance Succeed, an internet-based college counseling program, to guide students and track their progress through the search and application process. Families are provided with accounts on Naviance Family Connection.

This individualized and detailed college counseling process brings its own satisfying reward. In spring 2012, each Oldfields senior was accepted to at least one institution of higher learning of her choice.