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Recruiting Realities

National Letter of Intent [NLI]

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics [NAIA]

Collegiate Directories NCAA Eligibility Center

National Merit

The College Solution

Cappex Scholarships

Additional Information

Federal Student Aid [FAFSA]

Student Federal Aid

FinAid

Financial Aid Calculators

CollegeBoard

Suffield students are assigned to a college counselor in January of their junior year. Our office collaborates on dividing up the junior class among four counselors and experience has taught us that this serves our students well. If students/families have a request for a specific counselor, we will take that under consideration and will try to honor, but cannot guarantee, the request.

Meetings are scheduled with families twice a year—spring Parents’ Weekend (for juniors) and fall Parents’ Weekend (for seniors). Meetings with counselors are generally available at other mutually agreeable times and preferably after the counselor has had a chance to meet individually with the student. Counselors also communicate directly with students and families through emails and phone calls throughout the process.

Counselors begin preparing a preliminary list of colleges after initial meetings with individual students and are generally available in Naviance near the end of February. These lists are merely a starting point and will change over time as counselors receive feedback from students and parents after college visits and further research as to what a “good fit” will be. In June, after junior year grades and test scores have been received, counselors will take into account admissibility to individual schools and revise the college lists.

There is no substitute for visiting a college campus to get a feel for the school as a potential match for a student. Images and programs in promotional materials and online are carefully chosen, but the essence can only truly be experienced by visiting the college and its surroundings. Any of the colleges designated by the counselor on the student’s college list are a good consideration, and choosing schools that are in an approximate geographical location helps maximize time during school breaks. Students are encouraged to visit as many colleges as possible and make notes about likes/dislikes that can be discussed with the counselor to help determine a “good fit.”

The reality is that most students would benefit from extended time but only certain students qualify to receive it. There are stringent guidelines to which all families must adhere when applying for extended time accommodations. The application process is detailed and requires several weeks for the testing services to review. If a student wishes to apply for extended time, contact with Suffield’s academic support office must be made PRIOR to the start of the junior year.

Many colleges offer admissions interviews by various means. If available and the student feels comfortable talking one-on-one, an interview can be good way for students to personalize the application, especially if there are any special or extenuating circumstances which might be best explained in person. Be prepared to answer and to ask questions about the school and its programs and always take the interview seriously.

Students at Suffield begin standardized testing in the fall of their sophomore year with the PSAT and a full-length practice ACT in the spring. Testing continues into junior year again with the PSAT in the fall and the SAT and ACT in the winter. A repeat of the SAT and ACT is encouraged in the spring of the junior year. Seniors will generally take at least one more SAT and/or ACT in the fall/winter. International students should take the TOEFL at least twice—in both the junior and senior years.

Suffield will automatically register sophomores and juniors for the PSAT and sophomores for the full-length practice ACT. SAT, ACT and TOEFL registration is the responsibility of the student.

As set forth by a task force assembled by the school, completion of some form of standardized test preparation is a requirement of Suffield’s Office of College Counseling. Design of such preparation is a student/family decision and the requirement can be met by enrollment in a formal test prep program such as Kaplan or Princeton Review, work with a private tutor, enrollment in an online course (both SAT and ACT offer them), or self-study using test prep study guides/books. For the convenience of our students, Suffield has contracted with Summit Educational Group over the past several years to offer fee-based on campus courses. These courses target juniors in preparation for the January and May SAT, and the February and April ACT.

There is no “secret formula” as to what colleges look for in an application, but there are several components. First, and foremost, is always the transcript. Admissions representatives will review not only the grades received, but also the level of courses that a student took. A strong academic record alone will not guarantee admission so representatives also look for students with a variety of talents—athletic, musical, and artistic—and/or participation in extracurricular activities or work experience. Colleges are also interested in what others have to say about the candidate through their recommendations. The application itself will provide personal information and the reader will learn more about the student in the personal statement and essays. Most, although not all, colleges will require standardized test scores, and some colleges require supplementary materials such as a graded paper. Interviews are also taken into consideration, although admissions will be much more interested in your academics. Finally, colleges will be reviewing the rigor of the curriculum at Suffield Academy by looking closely at our School Profile. This document includes general information about Suffield, our grading scale, graduation requirements, and course offerings that help admissions representatives access a student’s achievement in relation to the rest of the class.

It is critical that students familiarize themselves with the specific testing requirements and policies for each individual college. Students can talk to their college counselor to determine which scores should be submitted, but it is the student’s responsibility to submit the scores to colleges directly from the testing agencies. Suffield does not report test scores on our transcript.

All colleges accept some form of online application, and most accept the Common Application. Once the application is complete, students should review it and their essays with their college counselor before submitting it electronically. The counselor will follow up by submitting the student’s supporting materials (transcript and recommendations) separately.

March break and over the summer present the best opportunity for students to visit colleges without interfering with our academic schedule, especially for those schools a distance away. Many colleges will not be as busy in the summer and options may be limited in terms of interacting with students or attending a class. Therefore if it turns out that interest in the college becomes extremely high, a return visit to the college while in-session might be of consideration. Counselors can provide resources should families need help planning specific visits.