Our Approach

List of 3 items.

• Freshman and Sophomore Years

  Freshmen and sophomores receive early exposure to college advising with their school counselor and advisory teacher via Scoir. Scoir, a unified college search and planning network, offers career interest surveys, college search tools, and a venue to record their extracurricular activities, awards, and achievements. Scoir also includes an amazing database of college information (admissions, denials, and waitlist) from previous Justin-Siena students. Having early access to this data enables students to recognize the competitive nature of college admissions as well as how successful our students have been in being admitted to a broad range of schools.

   

  One-on-one meetings between students and their school counselor lead to making personal connections about their interests, what they value, and what they might look for in a college experience. The annual Spring College Fair is open to all students with approximately 100 colleges coming to our campus from around the world.  

• Junior Year

  Juniors are invited to attend over 100 college admission small group presentations that occur throughout the fall in the College Counseling Center. Over 100 colleges visit our campus each year to present information in a small group setting. In the winter, one-on-one college planning meetings begin to discuss college lists, testing plans, co-curricular activities, letters of recommendation, and college essays. Counselors meet with each student at least twice in the spring and fall semesters.

   

  In the spring of junior year, advisory workshop topics include how to research best-fit colleges, letters of recommendation, and creating Common Application accounts. By June, these workshops are more in depth as they walk students through the college application process. In the summer, there are five half-day workshops for UC applications, Common Applications, and Essays/Personal Statements.

• Senior Year

  During the fall and winter of senior year, college counselors focus on lists, personal statements, supplemental essays, scholarships, decisions around ED/EA/RD application status, interview preparation, and selection of a major. Seniors continue to have access to presentations, field trips, and workshops that guide them through the process of applying to and selecting a college that is the right fit for them. The spring of the senior year brings many conversations about personal values, goals, and long range plans.