9th Grade

Semester 1

August or October | Freshman Quarterly Meeting (1 hour)

  • Provide overview of high school planning and college consulting process
  • Review CG Information resources:
    • Personalized Dropbox folder
    • Student Portal account
  • Acquire foundational knowledge of student
    • Review student’s academic history
    • Review student’s extracurricular experiences

January | Freshman Quarterly Meeting (1 hour)

  • Review academics, learning and performance, time management
  • Review activities, community service, summer plans
  • Plan 10th grade courses

Semester 2

March | Freshman Quarterly Meeting (1 hour)

  • Review academics, learning and performance, time management
  • Review activities, community service
  • Finalize summer plans

May or June | Freshman Quarterly Meeting (1 hour)

  • Review 9th grade academics and goals for 10th grade
  • Review 9th grade activities
  • Review goals for summer activities

10th Grade

Semester 1

August or October | Sophomore Planning Meeting (1 1/4 hour)

  • Review 9th grade academics
  • Review upcoming or current 10th grade courses, including motivation, performance, relationships with teachers
  • Review 9th grade and summer activities, community service
  • Discuss whether to discontinue any activities or add new activities
  • Discuss standardized testing, including AP exams
    • Advise on test prep options for 11th grade PSAT

November – December | Sophomore Bi-Monthly Meeting (1 hour)

  • Review academics, learning and performance
  • Discuss strategies for strengthening relationships with teachers and guidance counselor
  • Review typical schedule and time management strategies
  • Discuss potential areas of interest for future activities
  • Discuss preferred balance between academics, activities and social life
  • Advise on appropriate summer activity options

Semester 2

February | Sophomore Bi-Monthly Meeting (1 hour)

  • Review first semester academics
  • Plan second semester academic goals
  • Plan 11th grade courses and tentative sequence for 12th grade
  • Review first semester activities
  • Review options for summer plans and finalize applications if appropriate

April | Sophomore Bi-Monthly Meeting (1 hour)

  • Review academics, learning and performance
  • Review typical schedule and time management strategies
  • Finalize summer plans

June | Sophomore Bi-Monthly Meeting (1 hour)

  • Review 10th grade academics, learning and performance
  • Discuss goals for 11th grade
  • Review goals for summer activities

11th Grade

Semester 1

August | Junior Planning Meeting (1 1/2 hour Milestone Meeting)

  • Provide overview of college consulting process
  • Review CG Information resources:
    • Student Portal
    • Personalized Dropbox folder
  • Acquire foundational knowledge of student
  • Review student’s academic history
  • Review student’s extracurricular experiences, including activities, summer plans, internships and employment
  • Develop standardized testing schedule and test prep

October | College Features Meeting (1 hour Junior Monthly Meeting)

  • PowerPoint on framework of college features
  • Identify student’s “best-fit” college features
  • Introduce College Match Chart (CMC) evaluation approach
  • Plan visits to local colleges to confirm features of importance
  • Review academics: learning, progress report, relationship with teachers
  • Review status of test prep

November – December | Status Review (1 hour Junior Monthly Meeting)

  • Review College Match Charts
  • Share feedback from college visits
  • Review academics: learning, progress report, relationship with teachers
  • Refine standardized testing schedule and prep for SAT, ACT, AP exams
  • Plan summer activities

Semester 2

January | Personality and Interest Assessments (1 ½ hr Milestone Meeting)

  • MBTI Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory: administer, validate and interpret assessment of innate personality
  • Discuss relationship between personality and interests
  • Academics: review approach to midterms

February | Status Review: Testing, Recs, Visits, Senior Courses (1 hr Monthly Meeting)

  • Review 1st semester academics; plan Senior Year courses
  • Refine standardized testing schedule and prep: SAT, ACT, AP exams
  • Discuss summer plans
  • Plan visits to additional local and distant colleges

March – May | College List Meeting (1 ½ hour Milestone Meeting)

  • Review colleges, features, admissibility, testing requirements
  • Review college visits; plan future visits; introduce CVT (College Visit Tracker)
  • Review test results and further testing plans for SAT, ACT, AP exams
  • Finalize teacher recommendations
  • Finalize summer plans

March – May | College Visit Review (1 hour Junior Monthly Meeting)

  • Review college visits; refine list of preferable college features
  • Review academics: learning, progress report, relationship with teachers
  • Review activities and College Resume

May – June | Junior Meeting (1 hour)

  • Modify College List based on visit feedback, college features, academics
  • Establish summer meeting schedule
  • Review essay editing policies

12th Grade

Summer

July | Essay Brainstorming (1 ½ hour Milestone Meeting after July 15)

  • Brainstorm the following essays:
    • Personal Essay topic; create outline
    • Activity Essay (supplement essay)
    • College Match Essay (supplement essay)

August | Admissions Workshop (2 Hours): OPTIONAL & RECOMMENDED

  • Begin to fill out Common Application form
  • Finalize College Resume
  • Develop Top Ten list of extracurricular, summer activities and employment, for use in Common Application Activity Grid
  • Draft a College Match Essay for a favorite college

August – November | Essays and Applications (1 hour Bi-Weekly Essay Meetings)

  • 6-8 meetings

August | “Core” Essays and Common Application (1 hour Essay Meetings)

  • “Core” Essays: write, multiple edits, finalize the following:
    • Personal Essay
    • Activity Essay
    • Community Essay
    • College Match Essay (for a favorite college)
  • Complete Common Application form by September 1

September | “Non-Core” Essays (1 hour Essay Meetings)

  • Brainstorm topics and strategize timing for Non-Core essays for up to 8 supplement applications or colleges’ own applications
  • Write, multiple edits, finalize
  • Participate in a mock interview with feedback

Semester 1

September – October | Early Admissions Apps (1 hour Essay Meetings)

  • Finalize essays and applications for colleges with ED/EA/SCEA/Rolling admissions plans

September – October | Fall Status Meeting with Parents (1 ½ hour Milestone Meeting)

  • Finalize College List
  • Finalize approach to early admissions: Early Decision, Early Action, Single Choice Early Action
  • Finalize teacher and other recommendations
  • Review status of essays and applications
  • Review plan for college interviews
  • Review plan for taking and reporting standardized testing

October | Mock Interview (3/4 hour)

  • Prepare for college interviews
  • Conduct mock interview with feedback

October – November | Regular Admissions Apps (1 hour Essay Meetings)

  • Complete essays and applications for colleges with RD plans
  • Review Q1 report card and recommend whether to send to ED/EA colleges
  • Review relationships with teachers; potential additional teacher recommendations for RD applications
  • Review activities, time management, balance; discuss whether to discontinue any activities

Semester 2

January or February |College Applications Follow-Up (1 hour Meeting)
For students who have not committed to an ED/EA college:

  • Discuss follow-up letters to colleges from which student is deferred
  • Discuss update letters to all colleges
  • Review additional college visits
  • Review interview approach

April | College Matriculation Decision (1 hour Meeting)

  • Review options of colleges to which accepted
  • Discuss relative fit of colleges
  • Provide frameworks for evaluating which college to attend

May | Transition to College (1 hour Meeting)

  • Discuss with students issues of independence, freedom, responsibility, safety
  • Discuss with parents issues of transition and independence
  • Address questions about transitioning to college