College Counseling

This is an opportune time to begin discovering who you are and what’s important to you. We will help you develop self-awareness and self-management skills that will, when the time comes, support you through the college search process. For those who are ready to engage, the Office of College Counseling will host optional programming.

You’ll continue to develop your self-awareness, work on self-management, learn to manage stress and navigate relationships with others, and refine your academic skills. You’ll also grow to understand your own learning style and to articulate your strengths and weaknesses. This is the year when you will be paired with a specific college counselor.

You’ll take the baseline SAT or ACT and meet with our test prep partner, Revolution Prep, to learn about our comprehensive test prep program. The Office of College Counseling will meet with the 10th grade as a class multiple times to frame expectations for the college search, and your college counselor will also meet with you to review your transcript and help you envision an academic plan for the next two years.

You’ll continue to refine your academic skills and discuss your interests and goals with your college counselor in order to define “best fit” and produce a prospective college list. You’ll discuss the list with your family and plan spring and summer visits to colleges and universities.

You’ll participate in a mock admission exercise and a college counseling seminar in the winter and spring terms, during which you and your counselor will review best practices for preparing your preliminary application materials. You’ll also receive professional personalized SAT or ACT tutoring (free of charge to your family) and sit for your first SAT or ACT.

You’ll have the opportunity to meet with admission counselors from more than 70 colleges and universities who will visit the Mercersburg campus, virtually or in person.

You’ll continue to work with your college counselor to understand college fit and match. Then you’ll finalize the list of colleges to which you plan to apply and complete the application process with their support. Your counselor will review your applications and essays before you submit them. Then you’ll wait to hear the results!