College Counseling

College Planning Process

We stress the importance of building an attractive transcript for college,while encouraging students to enjoy co-curricular activities as esteem builders and for socialization.

With the continued importance of grades as a component of a career/profession, students are advised to begin researching their identified careers, and planning their electives accordingly for their junior year.

Juniors are encouraged to pick six colleges, obtain information on some, and attend the Carroll College Planning Night and College Fairs. Seniors receive a College Bound Folder the 1st week of school with all the materials needed for their College merge process.

Senior year the selection and application process begins, hopefully before Christmas, definitely by March 1st, when all seniors have completed the application process. A Financial Aid Workshop is held for parents and Seniors early December.

Our students take the NEDT in the ninth and tenth grades, and the PSAT in the eleventh grade. Juniors and seniors take the SAT and the ACT. All of the tests above may be taken at Carroll.

There is a supportive and cooperative network with other student services (i.e., student discipline). Guidance is utilized by teachers, and has been involved in formal, career-oriented groups such as Carroll Colleagues, Law Explorer's Program, and in less formal situations as some of the college counselors have met with their prospective seniors over the summer.

The Guidance Department, which utilizes departmental meetings to discuss and plan, is a cohesive group of professionals dedicated to providing the best services available to our students.

Overview of the College Process

Senior Year

Summer: June-August

Review your schedule for Senior Year. Do you have a challenging program?

Do you have enough credits in the areas specified by your college?

Prepare for ACT/SAT testing in Senior year by reviewing math, developing vocabulary, improving reading and comprehension skills. Take a class or get a tutor.

Identify your expectations of college. What qualities are important to you in a college? Which are negotiable?

Do some college research. Talk to friends in college, graduates, etc. Read materials in your local library, i.e. The brief college descriptions in the resource books like The College Handbook, Peterson's Four Year Colleges, Index of Majors and the materials under your bed from college fairs and which were mailed to you.

Write to colleges that look interesting and are good matches, request a view book, course bulletin, application and financial aid materials.

Use the Archbishop Carroll High School College Worksheets to summarize information from your search.

Develop your list of colleges, both the "Dream Schools" (If my SAT goes up 300 points or my GPA soars) as well as the NOW schools (my current assets, GPA, SAT are currently in their range.)

Prepare a resume and personal statement or autobiographical essay to be used for college applications.