Workshops Prepare EHS Juniors for College Application Process

The end of the school year is right around the corner, but EHS juniors will have plenty to think about over their summer vacations. 

On Tuesday, June 3, 11th graders met with their counselors to discuss the college application process, learning more about the tools that will be incredibly useful over the next few months as they begin to explore their post-high school plans.

One of the chief aims of Tuesday’s workshops was to educate students about the Common Application, which can be used to apply to over 1,000 colleges and universities, both within the United States and internationally. According to EHS Counseling Chair Heather Reilly, however, there is more to introducing students to the Common App than familiarizing them with its user interface. These discussions also serve as a great jumping-off point for the upperclassmen, prompting them to take stock of how their experience in high school thus far can best be reflected when applying to schools.

“When we talk about the Common App, there are a lot of different topics that come up,” said Reilly. “Students are able to get a sense of the questions that colleges are asking, and it helps them begin to think about their own strengths and the activities they participate in and how those might best shine through during the application process.”

The idea of self-reflection has been a key focus in the counseling department’s work with the juniors over the last few months of the school year. On May 19, 11th graders also participated in a college essay-writing workshop during their ELA classes. Reilly explained that the timing of these events is strategic, sending students into the summer months with a firm handle on the steps they will need to take next school year in order to get the most out of the application process. 

“The idea of the college application process and writing personal essays can be intimidating,” said Reilly. “But once we show students how the process works, it gives them a comfort level, which is extremely important.”

One new aspect of the process introduced during Tuesday’s workshops was College Kickstart, a tool that will aid students in their college planning process by utilizing admissions data and student’s transcripts to provide another layer of crucial feedback for students. 

The district’s partnership with College Kickstart officially launched this week making Eastchester just one of three public school districts in the region —along with Greenwich and Bronxville—that have joined a rising number of private institutions who make this service available to students. All 11th graders received an email providing them with login information so they can access the platform immediately and use it as a tool to refine their college lists before sitting down with their counselors in the fall.

“College Kickstart ties in beautifully with other tools we use, including Naviance, and it is going to help students broaden the list of colleges they apply to,” said Reilly. “It can provide information about amazing colleges out there that a lot of students might not know about, and also has the ability to make suggestions and giving students the tools and resources they need to research, evaluate and fine-tune their college lists.”

With this information at their fingertips, rising seniors will be able to participate in the college planning process at their own speed over the summer. Once school returns, Reilly added, students will resume their work with counselors in order to ensure they are on the right track this fall–whatever that track might be.

“We know this process is very individualized; it’s different for everyone,” said Reilly. “Some students want to work on their applications over the summer, and that’s great, but we know not everyone will have the opportunity to do that.

“No matter where they are in the process, we’ll meet with the seniors at the beginning of the school, take stock of where they are at that moment, and see what needs to be done moving forward.”