College Guidance
The Providence Day college guidance office assists students and families through all phases of the college search and application process. While a student’s time here at Providence Day is far more than just a resume-builder, we encourage our students to remain aware of their collegiate ambitions and to consider that they are constantly “writing the story” that they will eventually tell on their college applications. Our primary goal is to help students find the college that is the best academic, extracurricular, social, and financial fit; we therefore encourage our students to explore the many college options—in and out of state, private and public.
Staffed by four experienced college counselors, the College Guidance staff believes there are age-appropriate benchmarks for Upper School students in the college decision-making process, and focuses on helping students find the best match in a school. To that end, we encourage students to consider a broad range of schools and encourage open communication and teamwork among the student, parents, teachers, and themselves.
We understand that the admissions world is complex and ever-changing. Along with personal visits to over 50 college campuses per year, we also attend and present annually at professional conferences and often serve on regional and national college admissions boards and organizations.
Each college counselor works with one fourth of each Upper School class, allowing us to place individual attention at the core of our program. Students are assigned to a college counselor early in their Upper School career for assistance with course selection and early college planning. These individual meetings become more frequent and focused mid-junior year when the college search and application process begins in earnest. For the final year and a half of the students’ Upper School careers, they stay in close touch with their college counselors regarding every aspect of the process, including applications, essays, standardized testing, teacher recommendations, financial aid, and scholarship searches.
In addition to providing individual attention, the college guidance office offers a variety of college-related programs available to our students and parents, with topics including:
- Freshman Focus
- Sophomore college field trip
- Sophomore case studies
- Understanding the PSAT and standardized testing
- Advice on college scholarships and aid
- Facts about athletic recruiting
- Studying the arts in college
- Junior college kickoff
- Junior college and essay workshops
- Senior application workshop
- Gap year fair
- Transition to college for parents and seniors
- On-campus visits by over 150 college admissions representatives each fall
Our Four-Year College Process
2024-25 College Guidance Calendar
Please click on an event for more information.