We are excited to be working with you through the college search process. We look forward to sharing your excitement and successes, and calming your fears and anxieties. The College Counseling Office is here to support you as you take steps towards your pursuits beyond NWS. Every NWS student and family will be assisted to make informed decisions, meet important deadlines, and complete the college admission process throughout the junior and seniors years.
In order to best serve all students, the College Counseling Office has the following guidelines:
General Meetings
Requesting an appointment is easy! Anna will meet with you 2-3 times during the spring of the junior year and 2-3 times during the fall of the senior year. After the initial meeting between you and Anna, your parents are welcome to join any conversation. The agenda for these meetings is set by you: getting started, the college list, organizing the application process, general advice, financial aid, or gap year alternatives (just to name a few). Appointments are scheduled before school, during your free periods, and after school. Evening appointments are also available upon request.
Essay / Resume Meeting
Anna will review essays and/or resumes/activities lists for general comments twice during the senior year. Upon submitting these items you can request an appointment or just ask for it to be returned with comments. Items will be returned within one week, if not sooner. Anna will not edit grammar or content of essays.
Missed Appointments
Due to the high volume of appointments and appointment requests (as well as general courtesy and common sense), it is important you attend and be on time to scheduled appointments. If you miss an appointment for something other than an emergency or illness, it will not be rescheduled for three weeks.
Drop-In Questions
Beyond these more formal interactions, there are a multitude of opportunities to stop by the office. Anna reserves one "free period" for drop-ins most days during the academic year which is free of student appointments, college appointments, and other meetings. Check in, ask those questions, share your successes, and know that we are here to support you in any way you so choose.
Application Guidelines
NWS encourages all students to make thoughtful decisions about their college lists, and strongly recommends you submit less than ten applications to colleges. Application submissions beyond ten suggests you have not taken the appropriate time and energy to consider which colleges best suits your college plans. Preparation of the school packet also takes considerable time and excess applications diminishes the time we have to work with all students and the school community. As such, if you wish to submit more than ten applications you will be charged a fee of $50 per application beyond ten.