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The FWCDS College Counseling Office guides students in grades 9-12 and their families through a college search that is informed and enjoyable. Throughout this process, the office provides opportunities for the students to learn more about themselves while learning about many colleges. As they learn about different campuses, we encourage them to consider their own passion for learning and the opportunities they will have for involvement and leadership. At all times, the goal of the college counseling program is to help the student find a college campus where he or she will “fit”. The final result is that each student is able to make a well-informed and appropriate final choice about where to attend college.

There are five key functions of the College Counseling Office that are discussed with families early in the process. They are that the College Counseling office will…

• Advise students and parents on the many options for higher education.

• Guide students in taking advantage of the opportunities at FWCDS as they relate to college.

• Assist families in finding the best “fit” for the student.

• Build relationships between FWCDS and college admission offices.

• Provide support for the college application process.

The core of the advising program for students is a College Counseling Class that takes place for each student during a free period in his/her schedule. The class meets occasionally during the freshman and sophomore years; it then meets weekly in the junior and senior years. This class allows the students to meet regularly with a college counselor in small groups to discuss how colleges make admission decisions, what students can be doing to enhance their college admission profile, how they can begin identifying schools that ‘match’ their own academic and social needs, how to manage the many steps in completing applications for college, and what factors to consider in deciding which college to attend. At the end of the senior year, the counselors engage the students in conversation about the issues they may face in the transition from high school to freshman year in college.