Winchester Thurston School
Winchester Thurston SchoolCollege Counseling
The College Counseling Process
With a smart approach to College Counseling, Winchester Thurston inspires students to realize their fullest potential and prepares them to take their place in the global community. Students from our private high school in Pittsburgh are admitted to the nation’s finest colleges and universities year after year, which is a testament to their academic accomplishments and aspirations, as well as to their participation in a sound college process.
The experienced College Counseling staff at our private high school offers:
- Personalized guidance in a four-year process starting in ninth grade, incorporating advice on course selection, timing of graduation requirements, choices in extracurricular activities, summer opportunities, and more, to ensure each student stretches and grows during the important Upper School years, while also preparing intelligently for a successful college application process
- Informed advice about courses and standardized tests so that students and parents can make informed choices about which courses and exams to take
- 70-80 visits a year to WT by some of the nation’s most well-regarded colleges and universities, so that students have the opportunity to learn about the vast array of options, and to make connections with the colleges they are most interested in
- Hands-on preparation with the College Counseling staff for the intensive college process, including mock interviews (to learn interviewing skills) and presentation skills for college campus visits
- Summer Workshops on “Writing the College Essay,” to ensure each student receives intensive guidance on this highly important component of the application
- Letters of Recommendation from a staff of counselors who know each student as an individual and understand his or her strengths and interests
- Perspectives from inside the world of college admissions, through visiting presenters from college and university admissions and financial aid offices. A College Night is scheduled annually for freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and their parents along with other programming throughout the year.
- The Junior Seminar, a required course taught by the College Counseling staff, which focuses on all aspects of the college process, and includes several campus visits
- SCOIR, a robust online college-planning tool for students and parents
- Periodic communication from the College Counseling staff for students and parents, providing advice and tips as well as reminders and updates, so that families are well-supported in managing the details of the college process
- Intensive, one-on-one guidance with the College Counseling staff for seniors—including guidance on creating the college list, application review, compilation and submission of all applications, follow-up with college admissions officers to ensure each student receives the closest possible reading, and assistance in making a final decision on where to enroll
