College Counseling

Lawrence Academy’s focus on student-centered learning extends to the college application process.

Our experienced team of college counselors are also teachers, coaches, dormitory parents, and advisors, allowing them to get to know the students authentically and personally, as people, learners, and members of the school community, so they can tailor each student’s list of prospective colleges based on individual academic, extracurricular, and personal needs. The ultimate goal is to ensure that LA graduates matriculate at colleges and universities that reflect their unique priorities, personalities, and academic and career goals.

In the fall term of their junior year, students select their college counselors and begin to focus more intensely on the process of applying to college. One-on-one meetings and a well-developed college application-focused curriculum, including twice-per-month college counseling classes, help juniors identify colleges that fit their academic, extracurricular, and personal needs and understand which school environments will best serve them as people and learners. Seniors continue to work with their college counselors and attend college counseling classes in the fall, when they complete and send their college applications.

While the college application process is a big part of junior and senior year, it is also important for ninth and 10th grade students to be aware of what lies ahead. Therefore, the College Counseling Office holds class meetings with the ninth and 10th grades to highlight the importance of their grades and involvement in the life of the school.

The College Counseling Office collaborates closely with parents, too, during the college application process. Monthly College Counseling Office updates keep parents informed about important, grade-specific details of the application process, while college admissions panels, finance workshops, and informal meetings are also held to educate parents and students on the process.

Four-year College Counseling Timetable

Ninth Grade

We purposely limit our work with freshmen and sophomores, in the belief that the best preparation for college during those years is simply focusing intensely on classes.

Students: Ninth graders have two class meetings with the college counseling office.
Students: In the fall we meet to discuss the importance of freshman year grades and emphasize being involved in activities outside of the classroom.
Students: We meet again in early spring to go over the importance of careful course selection for sophomore year, speak to the importance of ending the year strong, and again, getting involved in their community.

We work with ninth and tenth graders from a more general view, especially at the start of a new school year. We urge them to “get involved.” It can be in or out of the school community through the arts, athletics, student council, clubs, community service or a job. We ask students to find an enjoyable activity (or two or three) and commit to it (or them). Colleges pay attention to students’ extracurricular activities during the admissions review. Beyond the courses and the grades, college admission representatives want to know what makes an applicant tick. Do you sing in the school chorus? Do you have a job during the summer? Are you involved in student government? Do you partake in volunteer work on the weekends? There is no right or wrong, no good or better commitment.

While we stress involvement, however, we also warn against over-commitment. There is a healthy balance of academic load and extracurricular activities that can differ from one student to the next. We want students to enjoy their courses, activities, and high school life. Each student must be comfortable with his or her own balance. Remember that quality is more important than quantity. Colleges will place much more value on one or two serious involvements than a long list of activities or memberships that lack in substance. Find the activity or job that suits you and run with it.

Tenth Grade

We purposely limit our work with freshmen and sophomores, in the belief that the best preparation for college during those years is simply focusing intensely on classes.

Students: We hold four sophomore class meetings during the year to discuss: PSAT’s, the importance of grades, getting genuinely involved in extracurricular activities, and discussing course selection for upcoming years.
Students: All sophomores attend, The Admissions Game, an interactive presentation sponsored by the LA College Office and put on by Peter Van Buskirk, a former dean of admissions. This event gives students a “look behind the curtain” at how colleges evaluate applications. The purpose is to give sophomores a true understanding of how their grades, courses and extracurricular activities will be viewed in the college process.
Students: All sophomores take the PSAT in April.
Parents: We hold two parent meetings in the spring for sophomore parents: one meeting is with the college counselors to give an overview of what to expect during junior year; the second meeting gives an overview of standardized testing.

Eleventh Grade

Students: In September we hold a class meeting to discuss standardized testing, including the in-school October test date where we offer the PSAT and practice ACT from which students can choose one to take.
Students: We encourage juniors to take the SAT and ACT at least once each. We advise taking the SAT in December and the ACT in February. We recognize students may have different needs for standardized testing and work with families to find the most appropriate testing plan (which may include not testing!) for their student.
Students: Many of our students choose to do test prep at some point leading into or during their junior year. We offer a test prep course for the SAT and ACT on campus. We also keep a list of alternate options for test prep which include free test prep on Khan Academy and ACT.org.
Students: In October we begin our small-group, College Counseling Classes with the juniors. These classes meet approximately once a month through October of senior year to cover topics pertinent to the college process. Students learn the “language” of the application process and work on the principles that help them define their areas of interest. We focus on four core principles: learning, defining, exploring and creating.
Students: Juniors select a college counselor in October and begin individual meetings in January.
Students: In the fall students receive an account on Scoir, our web-based software system which tracks most elements of the college process. It is an excellent college search engine and resource for students and families. In the winter they receive an account on College Kickstart which helps with balancing their list as well as admissions requirements for each school.
Students: Students attend a college admissions panel during our annual Junior Class College Counseling Day in the winter.
Students: During the winter and spring terms, students and counselors meet several times with the goal of creating a preliminary list of prospective colleges, planning visits, and creating a summer “to-do” list, among other things.
Students: Visits colleges! During March break or the summer between junior and senior year is a great time to visit college campuses. If you are not able to visit a college in person there are robust virtual visit options available for every school from tours to information sessions to faculty and student panels.
Parents: We host two parent events during junior year: in the fall we meet with all parents to give an in-depth overview of the college process. In the winter we hold our annual Junior Class College Counseling Day where we bring in panel of admissions representatives to speak to the junior class and their parents. Following the panel the college counselors meet with all parents of juniors to answer FAQ’s and introduce them to Scoir and College Kickstart.
Parents: All parents are invited to attend the Peter Van Buskirk presentation.
Parents: We hold monthly evening Zoom meetings for parents to update on our work with juniors, give insight to the landscape and current trends in college admissions, and host a financial aid information session open to all parents.

Twelth Grade

Students: We host a four-day College Application Bootcamp for rising seniors in August. Students may attend in person or remotely.
Students: Students register/take any additional SAT, ACT and/or TOEFL tests.
Students: In the fall we continue to meet individually to finish honing college lists, aiding students in creating an application plan, writing essays, and completing applications.
Students: College admissions representatives visit campus to meet with seniors. We typically host ~150 college representatives between September and November.
Students: We offer college office “evening drop-in” hours for seniors . A member of the college office will be available for questions about college essays, applications, and any other topics pertinent to the college process.
Students: We continue to meet with students as they submit applications and begin to hear back from colleges. We celebrate acceptances, talk through defers, waitlists and denies, and offer unconditional support to our students and their families.
Students: We walk through financial aid award letters and can help with a financial aid appeal process.
Parents: We continue to host monthly evening Zoom meetings for parents to update on our work with seniors and give insight to the landscape and current trends in college admissions.
Students & Parents: We send a final transcript following graduation in June to each student’s matriculating college.

FAQ's

What is the role of the college counselor?

When does the college process begin?

We hold class meetings with ninth and tenth graders, but we begin our work in earnest in the fall of eleventh grade. We hold monthly college counseling classes from October of junior year through October of senior year where we cover topics pertinent to the college process. We begin individual meetings with our counselee’s in January of their junior year. Our goal is to meet individually with students 2x per month, but some students will meet more often than that.

How does the college office help with the application process?

During college counseling classes we work with students to complete their Common Application and brainstorm/draft their Common Application essay and supplemental essays. Through individual meetings we help students hone their college list to reflect their interests, ultimately creating a balanced application list and manageable application plan. In August, we host a four-day College Application Bootcamp for rising seniors which students can attend in person or virtually.

Can the college office help families with financial aid information?

As an office, we work closely with our students and families who are pursuing both need-based and merit-based aid. We partner with College Aid Pro, an organization that specializes in the financial aid process, to provide families with comprehensive financial aid assistance beginning in tenth grade and continuing into the summer after senior year. We co-host six financial aid webinars with College Aid Pro throughout the year and are happy to help families who need assistance in the financial aid process.

What is the role of the parent in the college process?

We hope that you will support and openly communicate with your student and your student’s counselor throughout the process. Recognize that many schools have changed a great deal since you (and everyone in our office) went to college. Make an effort to learn about the schools in which your student is interested. From a nuts and bolts standpoint we ask that you help your student: plan visits, help register your student for standardized testing, help send test scores to colleges, be aware of requirements and deadlines, and fill out the financial aid paperwork if applicable.

How do colleges know about Lawrence Academy’s academic program?

We work diligently to educate the colleges about our curriculum. Each year we have ~150 college admissions representatives visit us in-person or virtually in the fall. One counselor meets individually with each admissions representative to discuss our curriculum and to answer any questions about it. In addition, over the past several years we have visited well over 100 campuses around the country, and again, we are taking the time on those visits meet with our admissions representatives and highlight the high quality of our academic program. We have learned during these visits that our academic program receives the highest rating for rigor.

How does the college office help students who would like to pursue fine/performing arts or athletics in college?

Our college counselors have a great deal of experience with the athletic recruiting process as well as working with students who are applying to a music-, art- or theater-specific program. We can help navigate application requirements, support early admissions reads and communicate with colleges. Often times this process begins before you are assigned a college counselor and we are happy to meet with students or families on an individual basis at any point.

How does the college office communicate with colleges and universities?

What about standardized testing?

All sophomores take the PSAT in the fall and juniors have the option to take the PSAT, an unofficial practice SAT or an unofficial practice ACT in the fall. Lawrence Academy registers students for the PSAT and these practice tests. Generally speaking, we recommend that juniors take the SAT in December and the ACT in February, though each student’s plan is different. We advise that every student take the SAT and ACT once to see which test is a better fit. We recognize that standardized testing is not always a "one size fits all" plan and we work individually with students and families who may have different testing needs, including not testing.

Resources for College Admissions Officers

We welcome our colleagues from college admissions to campus. Below is a list of resources that we hope will help make your visit more enjoyable.

Scheduling a Visit

Directions to Campus and to the College Counseling Office

GPS: 44 Main Street in Groton, Massachusetts, 01450.

Take I-495 to the Groton/Littleton Common, Exit #80. Follow Route 119 west for 6.7 miles; Lawrence Academy is on your right just before the intersection of Route 40 and Groton center. Turn right at the blue school sign, and then bear right at the roundabout and visitor parking is on your right. Follow the signs for College Counseling (in the Ferguson Building).

The College Counseling Office is located on the second floor of the Ferguson Building.

Beyond the Quad

A sampling of where our most recent graduates are continuing their academic careers:

Fun Fact

92% of Lawrence Academy students got into one of their top 3 college choices.

Navigation

Helpful Resources

Questions about College Counseling?

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the college counseling process here at Lawrence Academy.

Phone: 978-448-1556
Email: college @lacademy.edu

Meet the Team

Sean Sheehan

Class of 1987

Director of College Counseling, History

Amy Selinger

Senior Associate Director of College Counseling

Mia Ritter

Associate Director of College Counseling and Testing Coordinator

Chris Margraf

Assistant Director of College Counseling, Math Teacher

Need a Transcript?

Click here and fill out the form to request a transcript.

#AlwaysASpartan

Main Header Container

Lawrence
Academy

Breadcrumbs