College Counseling
Parent & Student Resources

This is your hub for all things College Counseling. Here you will find relevant articles and recommended books, scholarship information, application resources, upcoming events, and more. Please reach out to College Counseling should you have any questions about any of the information on this page!

Looking for a volunteer or academic enrichment opportunity? Be sure to regularly check the Enrichment Opportunities section of the GFS website! College Counseling regularly updates this page with opportunities we hear about that may interest our students. Many of these opportunities are available over the summer, but some occur during the school year.

Image

College Counseling Newsletters

Application Resources

College Application Timelines
 
College Search Websites
 
Testing
 
Test Optional Admission
Check out this article from November 2022 on test optional admission
 
 
 
How to Handle Waitlist Decisions
If you find yourself on a waitlist, College Counseling can help talk you through next steps. We also recommend these articles to reference:
What To Do If You're Waitlisted (College Board's BigFuture)
 
Final College Decision
Need help weighing the pros and cons for each school where you gained admission? Use this document to help you make your final college decision.

Upcoming Events

Junior College Kickoff
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 7:00 PM
On Zoom
The College Counselors will provide details on what juniors should be focusing on and what they can expect this year as they embark on their college admissions process. It is highly recommended that all juniors and their parents/caregivers attend. Here is the Zoom link to join.
 
 

Past College Counseling Event Videos

AIMS Paying for College Night
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
We heard from Chad Spencer, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Centre College, who has over 25 years of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He provided an overview of the college financial aid process. View the recording here. Passcode: tFpm6F3
 
12th Grade College Night 
September 13, 2023
Click here to access the recording (Passcode:  h=d0@@7g). The GFS College Counselors  discussed the college application process and what to expect during this year of transition.
 
College Admissions Panel
April 25, 2023
Click here to access the recording of our College Admissions Panel, co-hosted with Boys' Latin School, featuring representatives from Bucknell University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Tennessee, and Towson University, who shared general advice and insight about the college search and admissions landscape.
 
Junior College Kickoff
December 6, 2022
Access the recording here. The College Counselors provided detailed information about the college search process and planning ahead. 
 
A Look at Testing in the Changing Landscape of College Admission
November 15, 2022
Here is a recording of this program which featured Phil Pine, Founder and Director of Capital Educators, where he shared insight on standardized testing in the ever-changing college admission process.
 
Preparing for the Future of Digital Admission Testing (an exclusive event for AIMS families)
November 2, 2022
In cased you missed it, here is a recording of this virtual event presented by experts at Compass Education Group, who led a thoughtful and pragmatic discussion of the future of college admission testing. The presentation addresses College Board's sweeping overhaul to the SAT suite of assessments. Starting in the fall of 2023, paper-based administrations of the PSAT and SAT will be completely replaced by an adaptive, computer-based format. The introduction of a digital assessment comes at a poignant time in today's admission context, where colleges are actively interrogating the value of standardized testing in students' applications. And while nearly all schools adopted test optional policies in the wake of the pandemic, admission offices have demonstrated varying preferences for test scores. 
 
AIMS Paying for College Night
September 21, 2022
For families who were unable to join us, here is a recording (Passcode: AIMSPaying) of the AIMS Paying for College Night, featuring Chad Spencer, Senior Associate Dean of Admission and Financial Aid and Director of Financial Aid at Davidson College. Chad provided an overview of the college financial aid process. Topics included: how to apply for aid, what do colleges look for when determining need, and the difference between grants, scholarships, and need-based aid. 
 
12th Grade College Night 
September 15, 2022
For parents and students who were unable to join us, here is our presentation where we discuss the college application process and what to expect during this year of transition. Our guest speaker was Susie Hanks, Director of Admissions at Union College.
 
College Night for Parents of Sophomores and Freshmen
May 17, 2022
For parents who were unable to join us, watch our presentation which details what to expect in the next few years as your student prepares for life after GFS. Features a keynote address by Ms. Molly Boegel, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment and Director of Admissions Programs and Services at Dickinson College.
 
Athletics Recruiting Chalk Talk
May 17, 2022
For parents of scholar-athletes who were unable to join us, here is the presentation by Jessy Morgan, Athletic Director, and Elizabeth Almeter, Director of College Counseling. Together, they chatted about summer recruitment planning and expectations
 

Explore Careers and Interests

FAQ's

Relevant Articles

Paying for College

Scholarship Search Sites

 
 
 
If you are a Maryland resident and think you may attend college in-state, check out the Maryland Higher Education Commission for state and local scholarship opportunities.
 
Be sure to refer to our Money Matters Guide for suggestions on how to research scholarship opportunities and apply for financial aid.
 
Need help decoding a financial aid award letter? Take a look at this sample annotated award letter that breaks down the critical components of a school's financial aid offer.

Recommended Reading

Who Gets In And Why: A Year Inside College Admissions. Selingo, Jeffrey, 2020

The Price You Pay for College. Lieber, Ron, 2021

College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step. Mamlet, Robin & Christine Vandevelde. Three Rivers Press, 2011

Where You Go is Not Who You Will Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania. Bruni, Frank, 2015

How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success. Lythcott-Haims, Julie. 2015

The Fiske Guide to Colleges. Fiske, Edward B., 2020

I’m Going to College—Not You! Delahunty, Jennifer, 2010

Colleges that Change Lives. Pope, Loren. Penguin Books, 2012

Looking Beyond the Ivy League. Pope, Loren. Penguin Books, 2007

Harvard Schmarvard: Getting beyond the Ivy League For The College That is Best for You. Matthews, Jay. 2003

The Gate Keepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College. Steinberg, Jacques. 2003

 

Interview Tips

 
University of Richmond blog post
 
Union College blog post
 
Hamilton College blog post
 
Tufts University blog post
 
Northwestern University video
 
Advice from Bentley University 
 

Virtual Campus Tours

YouTube can be a great place to search for virtual college tours
 

Internships and Academic Enrichment

 
 
How to Find a High School Internship U.S. News & World Report
 
InternWorks: Virtual and On-site Internship Programs
 
Looking for a volunteer or academic enrichment opportunity? Be sure to regularly check the Enrichment Opportunities section of the GFS website!
 
Khan Academy is a great tool for keeping high school skills and topics sharp over the summer or learning concepts in greater depth. 
 
Try expanding your mind into higher education with these sites offering free, college level courses.
These are Massive Online Open Courses (also known as MOOC’s):
Udacitywww.udacity.com
Courserawww.coursera.org
NovoEd:  www.novoed.com
Yale University Open Online Courses: oyc.yale.edu/