COLLEGE C O L L E G E CHOICE EXPERIENCE

Recognized locally and nationally for its exceptional program, Whitfield's college counseling team mirrors the school's student-centered approach by offering a tailor-made experience for students and their families. Director of College Counseling Amanda Henry and Associate Director of College Counseling Ebony Sistrunk build trusting relationships with their advisee families by carefully outlining expectations and roles for counselors, parents, and students, as well as maintaining frequent contact between home and school. Whitfield’s school size, with an average graduating class of 75 students, can be attributed to making much of this possible. Intentionality is evident in all aspects of the college choice experience from caseload, to programming embedded in the school day, to expedited deadlines.

Whitfield’s College Counseling program is designed to help students understand their strengths, interests, talents, and needs in order to ensure each individual identifies the best fit post-graduation. Through a multi-year, individualized advising model, students are guided toward collegiate experiences that will continue to challenge and support their academic and personal growth.

Like all departments at Whitfield, the college counseling program uses a spiraling curriculum with an emphasis on individualization. The college counseling program begins informally in sixth grade, becomes more detailed and strategic in the ninth and tenth grades, and evolves into a student/parent/counselor partnership in the eleventh and twelfth grades. Whitfield families value the personalization, professionalism, and low-stress approach of the school’s college choice process which distinguishes it from all other schools in the region.

In your estimation, how is Whitfield’s approach to college counseling different from other schools?

AMANDA: We prefer to use the phrase “college choice experience” as what we do is not transactional, but relational. It is important that we define the roles for all involved: the students drive the process, and the parents support. We are the ones who hold the students accountable. Additionally, we provide concierge-level service to our families—for example, a travel itinerary complete with appointments at area schools to complement your vacation to southern California.

EBONY: We also provide postgraduate support to our alumni. At most schools, once you apply to college, you are done with college counseling. That’s not the case here. For example, if a student is interested in applying to law school or medical school, we write letters of recommendation.

The Gold Standard for a College Choice Experience

• Clearly defined roles for counselors, students, and parents

• Concierge-level service for families

• Postgraduate application support for students

What are the department’s areas of strength?

AMANDA: I would say that one of our biggest areas of strength is the essay writing component of the college choice experience, which has become increasingly more important, especially in light of the test optional movement. Our students are uniquely situated to have really outstanding written materials to support their transcripts and other application documents.

EBONY: Our department is well-versed in current college trends. We are continually educating ourselves on the trajectory that colleges are going in regarding recruitment and admissions, especially post-pandemic. We share that information with our students and their parents and help them understand how that data might impact their college choice experience. We are also very connected with college networks around the country through travel, outreach, and professional development.

AMANDA: We are deeply embedded in our professional organizations. Ebony and I have been networking for years, and have relationships with college admission professionals at schools throughout the country.

Areas of Strength

• Essay writing component of the college choice experience

• Being "up" on college trends

• Leveraging professional contacts and professional organizations/ networking

Applying to colleges and universities is traditionally considered to be a stressful process. However we often hear from Whitfield families that the College Counseling Department makes the experience very low-stress. How do you accomplish that?

AMANDA: Families who have children at multiple schools have a very unique perspective, especially when they’ve had one student go through the college choice experience elsewhere. What we often hear is, “At my other child’s school, I had to do so much of the work.” At Whitfield, we take those tasks off of the plates of our families because we want them to enjoy the experience of choosing a college together with their child.

Reducing the Stress

• Process is managed by the College Counseling Department

• College Choice Experience Program is a purposefully-designed, multi-year process

• Students work ahead of deadlines

EBONY: The program is designed to alleviate stress. During junior year we work with students on the bulk of their supplemental application forms, including essays and resumes. Then our summer workshops for rising seniors really lay the groundwork for collecting and finalizing all of the necessary application materials. By the time students begin their senior year, they are ready to submit their applications. 100% of the class of 2023 completed at least one application submission by November 1, and many of them were already finished with all of their applications.

AMANDA: Prior to our initial meeting with each junior family, we have done an enormous amount of preparation. We have curated a list of schools that is tailored for each student and includes three different categories: foundation, target, and reach. A foundation school is one that a student will get into based on admission requirements. A target school typically has about a 50% acceptance rate. And, the reach school typically has between a 20-30% acceptance rate. During the meeting we discuss each school on the list and develop a good sense of preferences.

How do you measure the success of your program?

EBONY: Each year our office hosts the Career and Major Exploration Program, which connects sophomores and juniors with Whitfield alumni in a wide variety of fields. The 2023 program featured eight virtual sessions with 24 alumni. Students signed up for two sessions during their advisory periods. The stories that our alumni shared about how their Whitfield experience prepared them for college and beyond were so impactful, and demonstrate not only the success of the program, but the success of Whitfield School.

AMANDA: We have a very low transfer rate for our alumni. I think that’s a testament to the work that we do here. We guide students to start with the mission and values of the institution they are considering. We want each student to find a school where they will feel at home and become a part of that community for the next four years.

Signs of Success

• Career & Major Exploration Program

• Testimonials from graduates and their families

• Low transfer rate amongst graduates

COREY AND SHEILA JONES (TARYN ’24)

Sheila and Corey were initially overwhelmed by the thought of helping their daughter, Taryn, navigate the college admissions process. But after meeting with the Whitfield School's College Counseling Department, they quickly realized that they didn't need to worry.