Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Noumair ’24:
On September 29, Kellenberg hosted a virtual college night for the class of 2024. The presentation invited junior students and their parents to learn about the college process and gain knowledge on how to navigate the complicated and lengthy process.
The online webinar, presented by Miss Ronan, Mrs. Marconi, and Ms. Gulmi, first offered advice on how to use Naviance. Naviance is an online tool that helps students find the right college and career for them. It gives a detailed analysis of each college, showing statistics like acceptance rate, how many students attend, and if it is a good fit for the student. The tools it provides are invaluable, and very helpful for any high school student.
Attendees were also informed about the terms test-optional, test-blind and test-mandatory. Test-optional schools give the students the choice of submitting test scores, and test-blind schools differ from that as they don’t offer the option of submitting test scores. On the other hand, test-mandatory schools require applicants to submit their scores.
Another important topic covered was visiting colleges. Students are encouraged to take pictures and ask questions about student life while visiting in order to bulk their reputation in the eyes of the admissions counselors.
This night signaled the start of the college search for many families. While some may look at the process as a nerve wracking one, Miss Ronan explained how the junior college night eases those tensions. “Our goal for college night is to provide both students and parents with the information they need to remain calm and feel confident throughout the college process.”
Overall, the Virtual college night was an extremely useful experience and helped many students and their parents to understand the path to college.