College Application Process

While students are preparing for university throughout their four years of high school by taking college preparatory classes, the college counselor begins working with small groups of students in November and December of their 11th grade (“junior”) year. The purpose of these meetings is to have the juniors begin thinking about what characteristics are important to them in a university – including geographic location, size, private/public, academic programs offered, types of students attending, and so forth. The counselor then conducts individual meetings with each junior in February, March, and April in order to obtain more specific information regarding their post-SFS plans. The goal of the counseling office is to help the students focus on finding universities that match what they are looking for in a school. During the summer between their 11th and 12th grade years, students are to research universities and return to school in August with a list of schools to which they would like to apply.

The college counselor meets with each 12th grade (“senior”) student at the beginning of the year to review the senior’s list of universities. The goal is for each student to have a range of schools they will apply to – including two “reach” schools, where chances are that they will not be admitted – but the student wishes to apply, three “50-50” schools, where they may or may not be admitted, and two “likely” schools, where chances are that they will be offered admission.

Approximately 75% of SFS students enroll at universities throughout the United States. Due to the large volume of applications, the deadline for seniors to submit their applications to the college counselor is the Monday after the American Thanksgiving holiday. All documents, including recommendations and transcripts, are collated in the counseling office and sent to the universities before Christmas vacation. An updated transcript is then sent in June to universities after the first semester, and a final transcript is sent to the university the student decides to attend.

For those students looking to pursue their university education in other countries, the college counselor works with them on an individual basis in order to meet whatever needs they may have that are specific to those countries.