At Garrison Forest School we view college counseling holistically—it is the next step in a series of opportunities for students to understand themselves and begin to realize their potential as students, leaders, and citizens of the 21st century.
From the time they enter Garrison Forest, students are challenged intellectually and nurtured emotionally through personal contact with academic advisors, teachers, coaches, and administrators. College counseling at GFS applies that same ethic of growth to the college search process, helping to guide students toward making the best choices for themselves. Although the "formal" college search begins junior year, the process truly begins when a student enters the School.
Beyond the challenges of being admitted, the
college process can be an exercise in humility, patience, compromise, and an exciting time of self-discovery. Students
explore connections between academic work and interests that may lead to
unexpected college choices. Most importantly, they learn to recognize
the qualities and skills they need to navigate what can be a fluid,
complex--and ultimately rewarding--process.
The emphasis of our college counseling program is on finding the best "match" for a student, so it is important that students have time to reflect upon who they are or may become. Beginning in junior year, students meet with the college counselors weekly in Decision Making II class. During winter and spring, juniors begin to meet individually with the college counseling team to develop a list of college choices based on their interests, preferences regarding school size, location, and atmosphere. Seniors progress to the Transitions course and a detailed focus on the actual admission process. (For more on these courses, click here.)