College Guidance
Welcome to the College Guidance Office at Loomis. The following pages will provide you with an overview of our program and the colleges most frequently attended by our graduates, as well as introduce you to our college counseling team.
At the heart of our mission is helping students find appropriate matches in higher education for their strengths, interests, and future goals. To do this, our five professional counselors draw upon their admissions background in higher education at a wide range of institutions as well as the professional relationships we maintain. These resources greatly inform our work with Loomis students, from our introduction in the spring through the Norton Center’s Freshman Seminar program to the hours of individual counseling spent with each junior and senior.
Our current four-year curriculum of college guidance includes but is not limited to:
- Counsel on the appropriate timeline for standardized testing and advice on course selection beginning in the sophomore year;
- An introduction to college research, including an annual college fair that brings over 120 college admissions officers to our campus each fall;
- Presentations from college admissions professionals that address current trends;
- Assistance with organizing and managing the various elements of the application process;
- Workshops on essay writing (in conjunction with the Loomis English Department);
- Guidance on application strategy and the review of applications;
- Specialized programs on topics such as pursuing college athletics, the arts application process, and financial aid
We pride ourselves on our dynamic and welcoming approach to students and parents, our expertise garnered over decades of work in the fields of college admission and guidance, and the advocacy we provide. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.
David Rion
Director of College Guidance
College Guidance Philosophy
One of the most obvious goals of the college guidance process is to help students identify, apply to, and secure admission to colleges and universities that will meet their needs, nurture their talents and interests, and appropriately challenge them. Equally important is the development of decision-making skills, which allow students to own and engage in this process successfully. Not only does good decision-making increase the likelihood that students identify colleges that will prove to be a good match for them, but it also engenders a move toward self-awareness and self-sufficiency, attributes that are vital for young people entering adulthood.
The College Guidance Office expects, and therefore helps to empower, students to make reasoned and informed decisions, to be forthright, to advocate effectively for themselves, to follow a schedule and meet deadlines, and to employ strong organizational skills throughout the process. The office provides timely information, counseling, and support to help each student develop the necessary skills to complete each phase of the college process successfully.
College Guidance Four-Year Curriculum
- Early college awareness and readiness discussions with freshmen as part of the Freshman Seminar in the Common Good;
- Programmatic offerings for sophomores and their parents, including information on standardized testing and curriculum options for junior year;
- Individualized meetings between juniors and their assigned college counselors commencing in the winter term;
- An on-campus college fair in the fall term for Loomis juniors and seniors with more than 100 colleges in attendance as well as a college fair in the spring term for juniors;
- Outside speakers from college admission in both class meetings for sophomores and juniors as well as during Parents Weekend;
- A coordinated college essay writing program, conducted by the College Office and the English Department, in the spring of the junior year;
- Continued one-on-one counseling during the senior year to review college applications and to ensure informed, strategic decision-making.