Every C-day, Seniors have a planned College Advisory meeting during 10th period. These sessions are divided into the three advisory groups: Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Quin, and Dr. Honig separately run meetings for thirty or so advisees. These sessions will continue for the duration of the college application process, which begins with the approaching Early Decision deadline and stretches to the Regular Decision deadline in January.

Mr. Blumenthal, the Director of College Guidance, got the idea to introduce to a College Advisory period from other schools. Many schools have regular college meetings for students beginning in junior year, when the college process truly begins. Instead of beginning meetings in junior year, however, the College Office holds a series of full-grade assemblies for juniors, who miss class to hear about standardized testing or Naviance. Additionally, each student has the opportunity to meet individually with one of the three colleges advisors to discuss more personal matters such as grades, SAT subject tests, and college lists. Before the institution of a College Advisory period, advisors often repeated the same logistical information dozens of times to individual students. The old system also allowed less proactive students to fall between the gaps – they could choose to not follow up with their advisors, thereby missing important information. The new system changes that – now all students are equally informed on how to apply to college.

Of course, the new system does have its own shortcomings. Just because the students are forced to attend the meetings (attendance is taken every time) doesn’t mean they have to listen to instructions. Also, students who had already covered the information with the college advisors on an individual basis or who are farther ahead in the college process may find the sessions repetitive. “I think it makes sense to have communal meetings, as there are some things and details that everyone needs to hear,” said Hannah Slager ’19. “While I think group meetings are necessary, I do find individual meetings more beneficial as I get to ask questions specific to me.”

Mr. Blumenthal doesn’t share the concern some students expressed about the college office’s resources being better deployed on an individual basis. “I agree that some aspects of college advisory (discussing individuals’ college lists, majors, programs, interviews, to name some) belong in individual meetings. However, if students engage in these group advisory meetings, there are many common questions that can be answered once for the entire group rather than repeating the same instructions for every student separately,” he said. “I can’t speak for Dr. Honig and Ms. Quin, but I felt that my first two sessions were productive. I know that some students have already completed a step I’m describing, and I know that some students are tuning out because they’re bored. However, I also know that many seniors are paying attention and benefitting.”

Since the meetings are scheduled for C-days, which, because of the Jewish holidays, did not occur once in the month of September, two of the seniors’ regularly scheduled Thursday classes were supplanted by college meetings to discuss the Common Application. Going forward, as C-days begin to occur on a regular basis, the sessions will no longer be weekly. After the bulk of the application process ends in January, Mr. Blumenthal suggested that the College Office might find others ways to use the periods, such as assemblies or frees. As of now, the College Office is confident about the usefulness of these meetings, and is planning on using feedback from the senior class to adjust and perfect the model for future years.