Grade 11
The first introduction to college counseling begins in December of the junior year with Junior College Night. Parents and juniors receive an overview of the Trinity college process and are invited to ask questions. Students also receive an extensive Trinity College Handbook at that time, filled with information about the process.
Group and personal college counseling sessions begin during the second semester of a student's junior year. Mandatory class meetings and individual conferences will deal with the interpretation of test scores, financial aid and scholarship opportunities, methods of college investigation and exercises to make the college selection process clearer.
Students will undergo a self-evaluation that we hope will help them discover personal priorities and realistically assess individual college credentials. In addition to class meetings, each junior will schedule individual conferences with their college counselor, both with and without parents.
In early February, the College Counseling Office hosts an informal 'coffee' for parents of current juniors offering advice, hints and organizational tips.
The goal of the junior year counseling program is to work with each student to create a large, initial list of institutions that appear to match students' abilities, interests, and priorities.
Standardized Testing
Eleventh grade students may take an optional PSAT in October. We advise against any formal preparation for the PSAT. Many juniors will take the SAT or ACT beginning late fall and into the spring. Juniors are advised to sit for at least one standardized test by the end of the year and to assess their progress with their college counselor. Additional testing may be completed in the summer or fall. Trinity School's code for standardized testing purposes is 334090.
Test Preparation
The SAT and ACT are like any other exams in that they can and should be studied for. Trinity, in partnership with Zinc Education Services, offers a low-cost, high quality in-house preparation class that is taught at school. The decision to seek individualized professional test preparation should be a personal one made by each family in consultation with a college adviser. Please keep in mind that the most important part of a student's record is school performance - the academic and extracurricular demands on Trinity students are high and should you decide to employ formal test preparation, any time devoted to a course or tutor should be carefully planned.
Other Events
Interschool College Night Program: A panel discussion, held in April, that can be helpful in providing insight into the admissions process and how colleges determine which applicants to admit.
College Fair: Four local independent schools, Collegiate, Dalton, Spence, and Trinity, host representatives from approximately 100 colleges at this fair, held at the end of April.
College Visits: Students often begin visiting colleges in the spring of Junior year. The best time to visit a college is when it is in session. This is not always possible, so try to explore some schools over the summer. By the time you are a senior, you will want to have had an in-depth look at some of the colleges that interest you most. Note that due to the pandemic, many colleges began offering robust online programming for prospective applicants. Trinity students are encouraged to make good use of these virtual info sessions, tours, web chats, and other programming.
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