What We Do
Milton College Counselors Follow a Well-Tested Plan

Milton students learn to think independently and express their ideas. That strategy works well at the college counseling office in Straus Library.

Milton builds its college counseling program around individualism. “We believe that the college counseling process begins and ends with the student,” states the college office Web site. “We do not expect students to proceed lockstep through this process…we expect students to take control [of it]. Our job is to guide, counsel, probe, recommend, refer, suggest, and inform. We do not decide, require, command, or package.” When he became the director of the college office in 1985, Chuck Duncan defined the approach that Milton still uses. Susan Case continued after Chuck’s departure, and Rod Skinner ’72 directs it today.

Although some students begin their search earlier, February of the Class II year marks the official kickoff to the process, at Milton’s College Weekend. The weekend explains what to expect from the process, and highlights some of the new trends in college admissions. Students and their parents travel through three information and discussion sessions. One features a college admission officer; a second pre-sents a panel of Class I students approaching the end of their search; and the third serves as the pulpit for Milton’s director of college counseling. The sessions provide practical information, assuage anxieties and offer a realistic picture from several vantage points. Chuck explains, “That particular day was always the most important day of the college year, because if we didn’t gain the parents’ confidence on that day we were in big trouble. In my time here, we got pumped up for that day.”

Students receive their somewhat famous “college binder” during that weekend; it outlines the steps to take and, among other things, provides hints and tools for assessing goals, developing a list and getting the most out of a college visit.

The binder includes a Student Response Form designed by the college office. One of the first steps for a student is to fill out this required form. It serves counselors well, who learn of students’ strengths, weaknesses, interests and goals in their own words. “What the students don’t know,” Chuck explains, “is that if they do a good job on that questionnaire, they have basically beaten the college process. They’re ahead of the game. They’ve responded to short-answer questions that came directly from college applications; they’ve written an essay that came directly from the Common Application. Then all they really have to do is polish it.”

Parents answer a similar response form; it represents the parents’ chance to speak to the unique characteristics of their child. The two response forms—combined with an academic transcript, teacher recommendations, advisor comments, and even the student’s application to Milton—provide ample information for the college office to create the student’s school report, or counselor letter, which is, as Chuck describes it, “a mosaic.”

Rather than working with a single assigned counselor, students begin by meeting with two counselors. “This process is wrought with anxiety,” Rod explains, “so we don’t want to add the additional anxiety of ‘Will I get along with this counselor?’ We allow the students to meet with any number of us; some students tend to stick with one counselor while others take the smorgasbord approach and meet with us all.” Detailed notes and twice-weekly department meetings among the counselors ensure that they are all up to speed with the students’ progress.

The goal of the first meeting—which the student attends with his or her advisor—is, as the college binder explains, “to learn as much as [possible] about a student’s past experiences, present situations and future goals.” The goal of the second meeting is to “develop an initial list of colleges for the student to investigate.” Beyond these two meetings, students are not required to visit the college office on a regular basis, but most students take advantage of the opportunity to work with their counselor for guidance and advice.

Beyond meetings, the office Web site is a resource for everything from tips for completing financial aid forms to the link for the Common Application Web site. Throughout the academic year, the college office sends weekly newsletters electronically to students and advisors. These include timely information such as SAT dates, school-specific application procedures, and information college admission officers visiting Milton’s campus.

Milton students spend plenty of time during the fall taking standardized tests, seeking out letters of recommendation, visiting campuses and polishing essays. The college office is on hand for any help. “The amount of work we do in the fall depends on how ready the student is,” Rod explains. “Some students come back from the summer with their final list made, ready to go. They might only need one or two meetings. Others are still not sure about what their right fit will be and have meetings with us once a week.”

The counseling does not end once the applications have been mailed. “Intensive work is often needed once decisions arrive in April,” Rod says. “Students might then have to make the ultimate decision, and for this we often hark back to what the student thought in the fall about what was important for him or her.”

As a recent graduate says, “The college office really knows their stuff and they get to know you so well. They know what you need from them. Not only will they help you build and refine your list, but they’ll also send you reminders about application deadlines and sending your SAT scores. They’re an amazing resource.”

What makes the Milton process a success? “I think it’s the openness and the availability for both the students and the parents, plus the fact that, as you well know, we have a very strong student body,” Chuck says. “But even if that wasn’t the case, the openness and the availability would still stand out. We’re not trying to hide anything; we’re very open.”


Erin Hoodlet

 

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