COLLEGE PREP AT PSC

 

College Prep:

All of our teachers consider it part of their job to prepare their students to attend college. Our senior AP English Literature and Composition and Participation in Government classes have been designated as college preparatory classes by the NYC Department of Education. A school counselor runs the dedicated college office, which is open to all students during extended day, lunch or by appointment. Juniors and seniors are assigned to meet with the college advisor once a week. Ninth and tenth graders hear presentations from the college advisor once per marking period. The college office organizes our annual Career and College Day, which brings alumni, family and friends to talk to our students about life after high school.

 

 

College Advisory:

In their last two year of high school, students meet with the college advisor once a week to plan for and complete their college application process. During junior year, advisory groups are classroom sessions in which students learn about what college is like, the differences between types of college, what colleges are looking for in their applicants, and how to prepare to apply, 

both for acceptance and for financial aid. By the end of  junior college advisory, each student will have made a resume, have signed up for and taken the SAT and have created a list of colleges to which they will apply the following year.

 

Senior college advisory is a small-group workshop which meets in the college office. During the fall, seniors complete their college applications during advisory time. At the same time, they will work on their personal essays in their ELA class, with assistance from the college advisor and teachers. From January through March, seniors complete their financial aid applications and search for scholarships. From March through May, students will be analyzing their acceptance and financial aid offers to determine which college they will commit to on May 1, the universal college Decision Day. In May and June, seniors participate in workshops and group discussions to help them prepare for the transition to college life. Topics include: time management, study skills, stress management, financial planning and self-advocacy.

 

College Acceptances:

In the last ten years, 90-100% of our graduates have been admitted to 2- and 4-year colleges. Students have been accepted to Williams College, Columbia University, New York University, Vanderbilt University, Haverford College, and Syracuse University. Five of our students have received the prestigious Posse Scholarship. Our graduates have also consistently found success at small liberal arts colleges such as Muhlenberg College (PA), Wheaton College (MA), Drew University (NJ), and Marymount Manhattan College.