Academic, Career, and College Counseling strives to journey with students on their path to discovering personal and professional goals that will fulfill them throughout their lives. No two students have the exact same goals or are in the same place in terms of discovering what they want from the next step in their education. The Director of School Counseling aims to meet students where they are and help provide them with the tools, knowledge, and resources they need along their next steps to achieving their goals. This development goes well beyond simply figuring out which college they want to attend and is rooted in helping students develop as a whole person from the time they step in the doors as a first-year student until they leave our halls as a graduate of Rosati-Kain Academy and beyond.
With an intentional and developmentally appropriate focus, academic, career, and college counseling is provided each year as part of the comprehensive Four-Year Academic Plan.
First Year Focus: Transition to High School
- Specific Activities: Small group activities focused on community building to become part of the RKA Family, study skills, understanding GPA and academic planning, and discovering personal strengths/weaknesses
- Testing: PreACT (spring)
- Meetings:
- Individual meetings as requested/needed by student and/or faculty
- First-Year Level Meeting (Parents and Students) during second semester (February) addressing basic high school expectations (academic and social) as well as financial planning for college
Sophomore Year Focus: Career Exploration
- Specific Activities: Large group (“Activity Periods”) presentations focused on developing awareness for many kinds of careers with the goal of introducing students to career pathways they may never have considered or been aware of.
- Testing: PSAT (fall), PreACT (spring)
- Meetings:
- Individual meeting with Director of School Counseling to develop specific two-year academic plan
- Sophomore Level Meeting (Parents and Students) during second semester (January) addressing registration and two-year planning
Junior Year Focus: College Exploration and Preparation
- Specific Activities: Large group (“Activity Periods”) presentations continuing exposure to different careers as well as detailed presentations designed to address specific points of the college admissions process including financial aid, the admissions process itself, essay writing, and additional topics as needed.
- Testing: PSAT/NMSQT (fall), SAT (spring)
- Meetings:
- Individual meeting (“Junior Interview”) with Director of School Counseling and at least one parent/guardian to discuss college preparation strategy and create plan
- Junior Level Meeting (Parents and Students) during first semester (October) addressing the college application process, financial aid, and finding the right “fit”
Senior Year Focus: College Admission Execution and Transition to College
- Specific Activities: Large group (“Activity Periods”) presentations with hands-on information about the application process, small group check-ins to address more individualized questions or concerns with the admissions process and/or transitional issues
- Testing: student-driven registration as determined in Junior Interview meeting
- Meetings:
- Individual meetings as requested by student
- Senior Level Meeting (Parents and Students during first semester (August/September) addressing all things “Senior Year” including the college application process from a practical standpoint as well as special senior-year happenings and procedures (Graduation, Prom, etc.)