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The school's Mission Statement links "higher
education and lifelong learning" as dual goals for our graduates,
underscoring a vision of college as a stage of continuing growth;
it further voices the hope that our alumni—men and women
of character and integrity—will “realize their power
for good as citizens of local and world communities.”
In accordance with these aims, the OES College Counseling Program
encourages student growth within the college search process—emphasizing
discernment of personal strengths, interests and values, and helping
seniors find a good match among the numerous institutions of higher
learning. As a school we do not rank our students and do not believe
college rankings provide information nuanced enough to be helpful;
we strive instead to focus on intrinsic qualities—both in
our students and in their schools of interest—when advising
young people and their families in their pursuit of opportunities
beyond OES.
The OES college counselors are the School’s primary resource for learning about college and other post-high school opportunities. Our staff of four counselors works with college professionals nationwide. They assist students as they attempt to match themselves with one of the more than 3,000 colleges and universities in this country. In preparing for post-high school opportunities, students should ask themselves difficult questions about their goals, values, philosophy of education, and interests. Such self-evaluation is not easily done, but if students are willing to look seriously at themselves, they can find the colleges that are right for them and present themselves effectively to them.
Although the college counselors work primarily with juniors and seniors, all students and their parents should feel free to bring to that office their questions about precollege testing, the selection of high school courses, establishing post-high school priorities, gathering information, and the application process.
At OES the college counseling process begins, formally, during the Sophomore parent meeting held each spring. At this meeting the college counselors meet with parents and discuss the process that awaits. Parents are introduced to the College Counseling Homepage, which has links to dozens of helpful sites and includes The OES College Admission Handbook, which is now “published” as a PDF file. Those who need a printed copy of the handbook should contact one of the college counselors.
In the Handbook, students will find a series of questions about their goals and values, their education, their activities and interests, the world around them, and their personality and relationships with others. There is a Calendar for College Planning that contains a year-byyear, step-by-step timeline for each year of the process and a Resource Guide listing useful books. Many of these resources, in addition to college catalogues, and view books, can be found in the College Counseling office located in the Upper School Library.
In spite of the relatively small size of OES, in any given year more than 90 colleges send representatives to our campus. Their visits provide an excellent opportunity for both Juniors and Seniors to learn more about particular colleges. The schedule for college representatives’ visits appears in the Upper School Voice and meetings are posted on the website and announced at Gathering. The Naviance system to which the school subscribes also sends students e-mails to remind them of visits by representatives from the colleges in which they have expressed an interest.
Various college fairs routinely come to the Portland metropolitan area. The largest and most popular one is sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. and is usually held sometime in October. A list of the colleges which will be in attendance is always posted on the NACAC website (www.nacacnet.org). In the spring the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling sponsors a smaller fair (www.pnacac.org).
The College Decisions program is the focus at the beginning of the junior year. It is designed to familiarize students with the process of searching for and applying to colleges. Activities include clarifying goals and values, finding a good match, researching colleges, visiting a college, and participating in a mock interview. In the spring, the college counselors meet with Juniors and their families in individual sessions.
In the fall, the college counselors work with seniors as they go through the application process. It is the responsibility of each student to notify the college counseling office through Naviance of his/her intention to apply to specific colleges. The college counselors act as guides: keeping the process on track, reviewing admissions essays, providing resources, and meeting with students and/or parents when necessary.
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