Timetable
January of the fifth form (grade 11): Each student is assigned to a specific counselor, who will guide and assist him or her until graduation. The College Counseling Office meets with students in small groups, to preview the process and to give a general overview of what will happen in the next year and a half.
January and February: At this point, the emphasis is on the student, not on specific colleges. Each student is asked to prepare a four-page self-assessment, focusing on areas of academic interest, individual goals, special strengths (e.g., fine arts, medicine, business, athletics) and other personal characteristics.
February: The College Counseling Office sponsors a weekend for parents of fifth form students to acquaint them with the college application process. (Parents of fourth formers (10th graders) are also invited to participate in the general sessions.) During the weekend, college admission deans hold workshops on such topics as financing a college education, making the transition from school to college, and choosing the best college. Young alumni return to share their perspectives on the process that they successfully completed so recently. Parents may also attend group meetings with college counselors to ask questions or express any concerns about the admission process.
Late winter and spring: The counselor and the student have a series of in-depth, one-to-one meetings to talk about individual goals and ways in which the student might best present his or her candidacy to colleges. An annual workshop on preparing for the college interview is offered by an admission officer from nearby Yale, Trinity, or Wesleyan.
Spring: As the student and the counselor get to know each other better, the broad outlines of a college list are formed. Should the student consider a school with a specialized program, or one that provides a more general liberal arts education? What about the size and location of the college? Should a student's list include traditional women's colleges or historically African American colleges?
Late spring and summer: This is the time most families visit colleges. By late June, parents receive a packet of information from their child's counselor listing specific suggestions for colleges to consider. This "working list" is divided into three categories: Reach (the most competitive schools for the student), Possible (a 50/50 chance of admission), and Probable (admission is likely). Also included is some important statistical information about the student: his or her SAT scores if available, his or her ranking by quintile, and the student's grade point average. (Rank information is used internally and is not forwarded to colleges.)
Summer: Parents are asked to submit some biographical and educational information, as well as their ideas about the colleges they would like their children to consider. Information provided by parents about their children's life at home, such as character traits or contributions to community life, can further help the counselors know the students better and counsel them more effectively.
Fall of the sixth form year: After a summer of visiting colleges and universities, each student continues the process of working with his or her counselor to refine the working list. Students begin to focus on individual colleges, and the hard work of writing applications begins. Choate's English Department offers support in refining and improving college essays. In addition, a series of on-campus college fairs is held each year, with more than 200 colleges and universities participating. To ask the final questions that help them sort out their choices, students also meet individually with college admission representatives who visit the campus.
Late fall: Counselors prepare accompanying materials such as transcripts, the secondary school report form, the class profile, and letters of recommendation. Early decision and early action applications are due between October 15 and December 15.
January: Most regular applications are due between January 1 and February 1.
April: Notifications from colleges arrive. The counseling staff helps students make choices from the options available to them, and in some cases continue to promote those who are wait-listed at specific colleges.
May: Students make their final college choices.
After graduation: The Counseling Office forwards final transcripts to colleges. Counselors continue to serve as resources for graduates who might consider transferring to another college.