College Counseling

List of 5 items.

• Freshman Year

  In the winter of freshman year, counselors host introductory workshops for families. These meetings are designed to help families look ahead in order to get the most out of their Rivers education and encourage students to cultivate and pursue interests.

• Sophomore Year

  The sophomore year program aims to educate families on standardized tests and the testing process. In the spring, students take a mock ACT and SAT. Follow-up workshops help families understand how to interpret these scores, follow appropriate prep and testing timelines, and understand the evolving role tests play in the college process.

• Junior Year Workshops

  Primary Workshop
  The college process begins in earnest junior year with our primary workshops. These fall programs introduce our office’s philosophy of matching the right student with the right college while dispelling myths about selective college admission. The workshops also outline the process timeline, preview our organizational software, and highlight our individualized Family Meetings. 
  
  

  360° Process Overview 
  Each winter the college counseling office hosts a panel of admissions deans, Rivers seniors, and members of our counseling team to offer families a 360° view of the process. In these casual discussions, junior families bounce questions off the panel to gain honest answers from multiple perspectives. The no-agenda approach puts juniors and their parents in the driver’s seat and ensures they get their questions addressed.
  
  

  Special Interest Workshops
  Our counseling team has a great deal of experience working incorporating students' special interests and talents into the admissions process. Specific programs are offered for arts (including conservatory level music) and athletics. Program addresses both how to appropriately consider these talents in the search process and how they can impact a student’s admissibility. 
  
  

  College Essay Workshop
  As former admissions officers ourselves, Rivers college counselors have strong opinions as to how students can make an effective connection with admissions officers through their college essay. Supplementing our extensive individual instruction on this topic, this late-spring workshop offers overarching tips and guidance on how to prepare a strong essay. 

• Junior Family Meetings

  Specific, individualized advising is paramount to a successful college search. At Rivers, the college process is personalized for every student through our private family conferences. After reviewing a plethora of information specific to each student including responses to self-evaluations and comments from teachers, counselors meet with families to discuss educational, professional and personal goals. These meetings are the first of many between students and counselors. Parents are invited to meet again with counselors in the spring and beginning of senior year to make final arrangements for the application process. Additionally, parents are encouraged to reach out to counselors throughout the process with questions. We believe strongly in a student-led process with parents and counselors working in tandem as support.

• Senior Year

  Senior fall is characterized by ongoing one-on-one meetings between the student and the counselor. Students work individually with counselors in May of junior year to populate that bulk of the Common Application. Senior year begins by putting the finishing touches on the application, reviewing, editing and completing essays and supplements, and developing a plan for final school visits. By October, students—in conjunction with their parents and counselors—will have developed a sound, strategic application plan that aligns with their vision of their future. Historical data plays a significant role in the process at this point, as the college office uses this information to ensure students are maximizing the likelihood of enrolling at one of their top colleges.
  Typically 100% of seniors will have submitted at least one application by November 15, and historically 70% - 80% of students utilizing Early Decision or Restricted are admitted through these rounds. Ongoing counseling is provided as early decisions return and continue in the spring for students pursuing regular-decision options.