Fifth Form Families Begin College Application Journey with Kickoff to College Counseling Event

The College Counseling Office hosted parents of the Form of 2024 for its first in-person Kickoff to College Counseling event in three years on February 3–4.

The annual event marks the informal start of the college application process for Groton Fifth Formers. More than 125 parents representing 70 families attended the event, which included workshops and panel discussions, a keynote speaker, and lunch with Headmaster Temba Maqubela.

“It’s a great opportunity for parents to hear from experienced professionals in college admissions from different institutions all in one place,” said Director of College Counseling Peter Newcomb. “At the same time, they get to hear from me and my staff about our particular process in working with their students, and have the chance to schedule individual meetings while they’re here. So they can get the lay of the land, they can get some useful advice from college admissions people, and they can also get to know our process better.”

Groton students meet with the College Counseling Office in the spring of their Fourth Form year to look ahead at courses they might want to take, but the college application process begins in earnest with the Fifth Form. After the Kickoff event, counselors will have regular meetings throughout the rest of the year to get to know students better, learn what they’re looking for in a college, and start building an initial list of potential targets. 

The support follows through to Sixth Form, as students complete their applications and start thinking about things like early decision and financial aid. 

The Kickoff event featured college admission staff from the University of Chicago, Brown University, Boston College, Holy Cross College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, sharing insight on such topics as “Making the Most of the College Visit” and “Putting Together an Application.” In addition, there were workshops focusing on writing a great application essay, the distinctive elements of the admissions process for applicants interested in engineering, and the financial aid process. 

A roundtable with current Groton Sixth Formers who candidly discussed their experiences with the college admissions process—including things they would do differently and advice they would give to parents and students—was particularly well received, Newcomb said. 

Friday’s keynote speaker was Peter Wilson, assistant vice president and executive director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Chicago. Earlier in the day, he shared some thoughts on why an event like this is so important to families preparing to negotiate the sometimes intimidating admissions process.

“A lot has changed,” Wilson said. “The admit rate at UChicago when the parents who are here tonight applied was probably 80 percent. It’s now 5. Helping parents get an understanding of how it all works, and getting them ready for the landscape of what’s about to happen over the next eighteen months, is crucial.”

Beyond the stress of the application process itself, Wilson said, students at this stage in their life are under a lot of pressure from peers and others to make the right decision.

“The best thing parents can do is help protect them from the outside world,” he said. “The college decision becomes the lowest common denominator when you’re sixteen to eighteen years old, and there are way more important things to be talking about right now than having to constantly go back to ‘Where are you applying? Where are you going?’” 

Parents can add to the anxiety as well, Wilson said, even if they don’t realize it. In the end, he says, students are best served when they feel supported but not pressured.

“My advice is to pick a day of the week to talk about it,” said Wilson. “At that time, say an hour every Wednesday, parents can check in and ask questions and the student can report on where they are and what they’ve done. But the rest of the time, talk about other stuff. They’re doing incredibly interesting things here at Groton. If all parents do is talk about college, I think it’s going to hurt their relationship.” 

When making a list of potential schools, Wilson said, fit should come first, even if it means skipping family alma maters or some prestigious options.  

“You have the best college counselors in the country here, people who have industry experience, who know what they’re doing,” he said. “They work with us closely, they know who are good fits for what schools and can give students great lists of where they should be applying and where they're going to be happy. 

“Trust your college counselors,” Wilson added. “They’re going to say things that you’re not going to like, that you’re not going to want to hear. Their job is for your student to be successful going through this process. One-hundred percent of their applicants go to college each year. Clearly they know what they’re doing. But you have to let them help your student. 

“Sometimes those schools that you have dreamt of them going to—maybe it’s a school you went to, it might be somewhere else—might not be in the cards. Letting that go now is better than waiting until it’s time to apply and you lose out on another decision option that would be a good fit.” 

Wilson said positivity and curiosity goes a long way in making the right decision and maintaining a healthy relationship with your child.

“When your child comes home with their list for the first time, the reaction should always be, ‘I can’t wait to learn about that school’ or ‘I’ve never heard about that place before. Tell me more.’ It’s so important, versus—and everyone does it—‘We’re not applying to that school.’ Or, ‘I heard that’s not a great place,’” he said. “Be positive. Offer to go look at schools or visit their websites together and learn more, so you make them feel good about what they’re doing. 

“At the end of the day, we want them to be happy,” Wilson said. “That’s the goal: We’re sending an eighteen-year-old to a place where they’re going to grow and they’re going to develop, and you want them to be happy when they’re doing it. If they go someplace that’s your first choice and not theirs, it’s not going to be fun for them. 

“We always talk about college being the best four years of our lives. You might as well make sure that they’re going to be happy when they go.”