The goal of the College Counseling program at Virginia Beach Friends is to help each student discover his talents and interests and to find a post secondary school or program that best meets his needs, interests, budget, and wants.

In addition, we assist students in the process of choosing appropriate schools, completing applications, obtaining other necessary documents, writing their essays, registering for the appropriate college entrance exams, and submitting all application materials on time.

College counseling begins in the ninth grade, accelerates in the eleventh grade, and continues through the senior year. Students are notified in spring of their senior year of acceptances and then make their final college choice.

The following timeline may be helpful to parents and students:

Freshman year

  • Do a four year plan for your courses always keeping in mind your long term goals.
  • Work on developing good study habits and organizational skills.
  • Take the ACT Explore test in the fall of your freshman year to assess your academic strengths and weaknesses and begin to explore your occupational interests.
  • Work hard in all of your courses to start out your high school career with a strong grade point average.

Sophomore year

  • Pay attention to your long term goals and your graduation requirements as you select your courses.
  • Take the ACT Plan test in fall of your sophomore year. This is essentially a practice ACT test. Use the results to identify the areas you need to strengthen.
  • Review the results of your ACT Plan test to help you continue to explore your occupational interests.
  • Continue to work hard in your courses and maintain a good GPA.

Junior year

  • Choose challenging courses and study hard. This may be your most challenging year academically.
  • Stay aware of your graduation requirements.
  • Maintain good grades as colleges will be reviewing your grades from 9th, 10th, and 11th grades when evaluating your application.
  • Take the PSAT in fall of your junior year.
  • Use the results of the PSAT to identify and strengthen weak areas before taking the SAT in the spring.
  • Take an SAT or ACT test prep course to strengthen your scores.
  • Start to explore colleges that interest you. The internet, friends, teachers, relatives, and the Admissions office are all good sources of information regarding your college choices.
  • Visit schools that interest you. Every student should visit the campus, if at all possible, before deciding to apply to a school.
  • Use the catalogs and other materials available in the College Counseling office and information posted in the South stairwell to help you explore your choices.
  • Take the SAT and/or the ACT in spring of your junior year.

Senior year

  • Make sure that you have a plan for meeting all graduation requirements when you sign up for your classes.
  • Study hard and take challenging courses. It is not the time to slack off. Colleges will look carefully at the courses you are taking in your senior year.
  • Register to take the SAT and/or ACT again in the fall if you want to try to raise your scores.
  • Finalize your list of schools. You should have between 5 and 7 schools (more if you want). Choose some that are a stretch, some that are pretty sure, and one that is a fall back.
  • If you haven’t already, visit each of these schools. You can get fall open house dates off of their web sites.
  • Obtain application materials from every school on your list.
  • Discuss early decision or early action with your parents and the Admissions office if you are interested in this option.
  • Give the “Counselor’s Form” or “Secondary School Report Form” from your application packet to the Admissions office. If there is no form, write down the school name and address on a request to her to send transcript materials. Do not wait until the last minute to do this.
  • Choose people to write letters of recommendation for you as needed. Give each of these people the necessary information and a stamped addressed envelope.
  • Gently remind the people writing your letters of recommendation of the due dates.
  • Begin working on your essays early. Ask one of the English teachers to review your essays and give you suggestions.
  • Register for SAT II tests if required by the schools you have chosen.
  • Be aware of due dates. Write them in your planner.
  • Submit all application materials on time.
  • Write thank you notes to the people who have written letters of recommendation for you.
  • Relax and wait to hear back from the schools. Schools on rolling admission will notify you as soon as your application has been evaluated, usually within a month. Schools with a specific application period will send out letters by April 1.
  • After you have received your acceptances, if possible, visit all the schools again that are in your final pool.
  • Make your final choice and send in your deposit by May 1.
  • Remember to keep your grades up throughout your senior year. All acceptances are provisional until the college has received your final transcript.
  • Thank your parents and everyone who helped you with this process.

Congratulations! You did it!