Building Your Story Summers

College Counselor • Meet boys where they are. • Emphasize intellectual, personal, and character development over “getting in.” • Educate students and families about the college search. • Encourage students and families to look beyond familiar colleges. • Recommend new colleges for a boy to research. • Provide feedback on a plan for visiting colleges. • Advise families about financial aid and merit scholarships where appropriate. • Assist in the creation of a college list. • Consult on the college essay and application materials. • Leverage expertise and professional relationships to provide strong, current advice.

Colleges make admission decisions on a wide range of factors, some of which are beyond a student’s control. What each boy can control is the body of work he develops during his time at Woodberry. This includes academic performance, of course, but it also includes athletics, artistic achievements, extracurricular pursuits, and character development. Boys will use college applications to tell their personal stories. The letters of recommendation written by the college counselor and by faculty members will chronicle and interpret a boy’s time here. The best way a boy builds a story that resonates with colleges is by immersing himself in all areas of Woodberry life of interest to him, and pursuing those interests with honest and genuine vigor, curiosity, and a whole-hearted desire for personal growth.

SUMMERS

What students do during their summer break can distinguish them from other applicants of similar academic caliber. Whether they complete a community service project, get a job or internship, take a course, or go to a camp, summer is an excellent time to explore interests or activities not available during the academic year. College counselors, advisors, and coaches are all resources for summer planning. Parents will know best what is possible in the surrounding area and are likely to be the primary resource for facilitating these opportunities. No one option is inherently better — colleges are mainly interested in seeing students use free time in a meaningful way.

u Beware of fancy-sounding summer opportunities that cost a lot of money. The summer academic programs at a number of highly selective universities, for example, are primarily revenue generators for those institutions and will not confer admission benefits. Though conventional wisdom might suggest that these opportunities “look good on a college application,” colleges do not weigh them heavily in selection.

ATHLETICS

Many students aspire to be involved in varsity athletics while in college, and Woodberry has a long tradition of helping boys reach that goal. Depending on the sport, recruitment could begin as early as sophomore year. Division I (D-I) and Division II (D-II) athletics tend to garner the most attention due to the scholarships available and the regulations imposed by the NCAA. Boys and parents should become familiar with NCAA requirements as early as possible if competitive for D-I or D-II teams. While athletic scholarships are not available at Division III (D-III) colleges and universities, many of them offer a high level of intercollegiate competition mixed with outstanding academics.

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

A student with artistic talent can be an attractive candidate for colleges. Many colleges offer opportunities to showcase ability in visual art, theater, and music in the application process even if the individual does not plan to pursue a college major in the arts.

Considering D-III D-III colleges tend to boast high academic expectations alongside high quality athletic programs. A student hoping to play more than one sport might find that a D-III school is a better fit. These programs also offer more flexibility in the off-season; students might more easily take advantage of internships, research, and study abroad alongside their athletic commitments. The NCAA Eligibility Center Students intending to compete in intercollegiate athletics must register online with the NCAA Eligibility Center (https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/) in order to have their academic program of study cleared by the NCAA. Upon registering with the NCAA — preferably by the end of the fifth-form year — Woodberry will be prompted to upload the student’s transcript to the site for eventual approval.

Visual Arts u Putting together a portfolio to include with an application takes planning. Most students will finalize their art portfolio during the summer between junior and senior year. Boys interested in submitting a portfolio should consult with their college counselor and the visual arts faculty.

t Performing Arts Some schools may encourage online video submissions of musical or dramatic performances. Depending on the program, some schools may also offer or require in-person auditions during senior year. Members of the theater and music faculty can help boys record performances.