Bridging the Gap

COLLEGE PLANNING: STARTING EARLIER
Some changes are in the works when it comes to college
planning. St. Mary’s is expanding college preparation to 9th
and 10th grades, as parents “wanted more, and they wanted it
earlier,” according to Englehart-Thompson. This fall, Freshmen
and Sophomores attended class information sessions about the
high school experience, how to approach their high school academics
in preparation for college, and how to research college.
In August, Seniors attend “boot camp”, which includes practice
interviews, work on the Common Application, and a focus on
essay writing. That program will become more concentrated in
2016, with the goal of helping students become “their best selfadvocate,”
she says.
St. Mary’s always takes its underclassmen on yearly college
tours around the country. This year, exclusively for Sophomores,
they’re adding local schools - Rhodes, Christian Brothers
University, and the University of Memphis - to the mix,
so that students can have a close-by look at the differences
between small, large, public, private, and faith-based higher
education. In October, 22 alumnae working in nonprofit
management, finance and investment, banking, law, restaurant and culinary work, real estate, and more, held practice
interviews for Seniors to help them prepare for admission and scholarships interviews.
“What I have really enjoyed so far about working with students and their families - there seems to be less anxiety
about finding the perfect college,” and more focus “on finding the right college,” says Englehart-Thompson. It’s about
following individual inspiration, discovered through classes, and also through volunteering and extracurriculars.
That focus on “fit” for each student is apparent in the diversity of schools St. Mary’s girls are attending: In 2015, 55
graduates entered 46 universities and colleges, with more than $10 million in merit scholarships.
“The experience they’re getting here,” says Englehart-Thompson, “is helping them to put the pieces together.”
College counseling team: Lee Avant, Chancey Thompson, and Vicki Englehart-Thompson.
THE SATs: WHAT’S NEW
“Practice, practice, practice.” That’s the mantra of Chancey
Thompson, assistant dean of college counseling. St. Mary’s offers
plenty of opportunities to do that, beginning in the Sophomore
year with PSAT preparation and testing and it’s paying off:
The St. Mary’s class of 2016 has 17 National Merit Semifinalists
and Commended Students out of a class of 64.
More and more colleges are opting for “test optional” and
“test flexible” in their admissions (go to fairtest.org for more
information). For their part, the testing companies are revising
the standardized tests in an attempt to “better reflect what’s
being taught.”
St. Mary’s recommends that Juniors take both the ACT
and the SAT in February and March, respectively, for a baseline
score. “We’ll help them decide which is their better test,”
says Englehart-Thompson.
The new SAT that debuts in January 2016 will be returning
to the 1600-point model, combining reading and writing
back into one score, and with a math test that is more in
keeping with student curricula. (“It’s not an IQ test any more,”
notes Englehart-Thompson.) The essay will be optional and
not part of the reading/writing results. It’s recommended that
students write the essay, because some colleges will ask for it.
The ACT includes English, math, reading, and science
sections, and also includes an optional essay.
WINTER 2015 | 11