Student Support Services and College Timeline at Fontbonne Hall

From the first day of school to the completion of their final college applications, we offer academic advisement to ensure appropriate and competitive course selection, guidance in writing a personal essay for college applications, and everything else a student will require to submit their final applications.


 

Freshwoman Year

For Parents/Guardians:

  • Discuss expectations and goals for their first year of high school - grades, involvement, community service, etc.
  • Discuss what classes your daughter is taking - what does she find interesting? Look at the course catalog to see what best fits with her interests for next year.
  • Familiarize yourself with PowerSchool and Naviance. Naviance is a tool that students use to organize their college applications.

For Students:

  • During the first two quarters, all freshwomen take a Mindfulness course taught by the school counselor as they adjust to high school life. They learn coping strategies and social-emotional skills to help them adapt to their new workload and possible stressors. 
  • Freshwomen meet with their school counselors during Year Meeting sessions to review topics relating to their personal and academic growth and college/career exploration. Topics include: anti-bullying/empathy, self-advocacy, time management, and more.
  • Freshwomen are introduced to Naviance, which is crucial for college applications. They are taught how to create their resume and partake in various assessments that help them explore their personality, career interests, and strengths.
  • Freshwomen are encouraged to create an account with Raise.Me. They will input their grades yearly and see what merit scholarships are available to them based solely on their grades. They can also receive scholarships for visiting colleges through the Raise.Me website. 

Sophomore Year

For Parents/Guardians:

  • Assess what your daughter has been involved with, both in school and in the community, and what more she could do. This is important for creating a well-rounded resume for college applications. 
  • Look at the course catalog and discuss creating a competitive schedule for junior year. 
  • Encourage your daughter to participate in a summer program, internship, or job that matches her future career goals or interests (opportunities will be sent out to parents and students). 
  • Begin possible SAT/ACT prep classes or tutoring.
  • Start discussing college options and visiting local schools to get a better sense of what college environment your daughter will enjoy.

For Students:

  • In October, sophomores will take the PSAT exam at Fontbonne to get an initial idea of how they will perform on the SAT and assess their strengths and areas in need of improvement.
  • Sophomores are encouraged to update their resumes on Naviance in preparation for college applications. This is a time to assess their involvement at Fontbonne and in the community to see what more can be done the next two years.
  • Sophomores meet with their school counselors during Year Meeting sessions to continue exploring their career interests through the Career Cluster Finder on Naviance

Junior Year

For Parents/Guardians:

  • Junior parents/guardians will be invited to attend a Junior Parent College Night in September so that they can get a better understanding of the college process and the necessary preparation. 
  • Junior parents/guardians will be asked to fill out a parent brag sheet with their child to ensure the school counselors have an accurate picture of their strengths and accomplishments ahead of writing their letter of recommendation. 
  • Speak with your daughter and begin outlining a financial plan.

FALL/WINTER

For Students:

  • The school counselors attend Year Meeting sessions regularly to help juniors prepare for everything college-related: signing up for the SAT, searching for colleges that are a good fit, and continuing to update their resume on Naviance.
  • Students are encouraged to begin visiting colleges, attend virtual information sessions, and college fairs to learn more about colleges that they are interested in. 
  • In October, juniors will take the PSAT exam at Fontbonne to get a better sense on how they will perform on the SAT in the spring of their junior year or fall of their senior year. 
  • Juniors are encouraged to begin SAT/ACT preparation (courses and tutoring recommended by Fontbonne or outside classes).

SPRING

For Students

  • During the 4th quarter, junior’s religion class will be replaced with Junior CollegeSeminar. They will meet twice a cycle with the school counselors to help with all things college related: 
    • Creating their college list.
    • Writing their essay draft after researching the common app essay prompts. They don’t often change dramatically from year to year.
    • Filling out their brag sheet with activities and accomplishments.
    • Identifying teachers for letters of recommendation.
    • Signing up for the SAT and ACT. 
    • Searching for scholarships. 
  • Juniors are able to take the SAT or ACT in the spring or summer - March, April, June, July, or August. 
  • Students are encouraged to consider participating in a summer program, internship, or job that matches their future career goals or interests (opportunities are sent to students and parents from Student Support Services). 
  • Depending on Covid-19 restrictions, Student Support Services may plan local or overnight trips to colleges or have admissions representatives from colleges and universities visit, either in-person or remotely.

SUMMER

  • Continue preparing for the SAT/ACT if taking again in the fall.
  • Participate in another summer program or internship.
  • Finalize college list, Common App essays, and begin researching the supplemental essays for the specific schools they will be applying to. 
  • Look into different types of admission options and discuss with parents.
    • Early Action (non-binding - if you get in you do NOT HAVE to attend this school).
    • Early Decision (binding - if you get in you HAVE to attend this school). 
    • Regular Decision (apply at dates later than the early deadlines). 
    • Rolling Admission (can apply at any time - but it is recommended to apply sooner rather than later). 
  • Explore and consider career interests and possible majors.
  • Begin looking at independent scholarships they may be eligible for.
  • Speak with their family and begin outlining a financial plan.

Senior Year

For Parents/Guardians:

  • In September, senior parents/guardians will be invited to attend a Senior College Parent Night as an overview for the application process and how to help their daughter choose the best college for them.
  • In October, senior parents/guardians will be invited to attend a Financial Aid Seminar led by a local financial aid expert. FAFSA is available starting October 1st and is required to be filled out by all students/families seeking financial aid and/or merit scholarship. CSS Profile is also available October 1st and is required for many private colleges (list can be found here).
  • Parents/guardians are encouraged to check with their places of employment or organizations they belong to and see if there are any scholarships available for students.

For Students:

FALL/WINTER

  • All seniors will be enrolled in Career and Personal Finance Seminar. During the first quarter, this course will be taught by the school counselors to guide students through the application process. The second half of the class will be taught by Mrs. Ganser, who will teach the students life-skills such as creating a resume, budgeting, and more. 

Fall Application Tasks Include:

  • Creating their Common Application account.
  • Linking their Naviance and Common Application accounts.
  • Requesting their teacher letters of recommendation on Naviance.
  • Completing their college essay and supplemental essays.
  • Applying for scholarships.
  • Seniors are able to take the SAT or ACT again in the fall - August, September, October, November, or December. 
  • Throughout the college application process, the school counselors conduct one-on-one meetings with each senior to review their application and offer any guidance that is needed. 
  • In the fall, Fontbonne invites representatives from local colleges (in-person or virtually), such as St. John’s University, St. Joseph’s College, and more, for instant admission days where seniors find out on-the-spot if they are accepted and scholarship amounts. 
  • Seniors finalize and make sure all applications are submitted. The majority of regular decisions should be submitted prior to winter break.

 

SPRING

  • Seniors begin to visit colleges that they were accepted into and begin to narrow down the list of where they might choose to attend.
  • Continue applying to scholarships. 
  • All seniors are required to fill out an exit survey at the end of the year letting Fontbonne know where they will be attending and what scholarships they have received.
  • Students must submit a deposit to their school by May 1st. 
  • Graduate and celebrate!