COLLEGE GUIDANCE: OVERVIEW

Staten Island Academy is a college preparatory school. Since 1884, Academy students have been accepted into the nation’s finest colleges and universities.

The Academy has an outstanding College Guidance program that boasts an 8:1 student:advisor ratio. The program is comprehensive and innovative offering a series of informative workshops, advisory sessions, special events and college visits.

College Advisors-Individualized Attention At the end of Grade 11 students select a college advisor who will work with them individually throughout the entire process. The 8:1 advisor-student ratio allows advisors to understand fully individual student strengths, talents and college aspirations. Advisory sessions on specific topics are held once a week. These sessions include general information on the college application, researching colleges, college essay writing and interviewing techniques workshops.

College Nights & Events
Grade 9 College Night-“Getting Off To A Good Start” The evening is an overview of ways students can build academic skills. Topics include among others: setting academic goals, time-management, preparing for the SAT-II subject exams in biology and world history, and advice on using the summer break wisely.

Grade 10 College Night-“Building Skills” The Grade 10 College Night stresses the importance of building academy skills including preparations for the PSAT and SAT-II subject tests in various subjects. The evening also introduces student and their parents to the basics of researching college possibilities.

Grade 11 College Night-“Finding the Right Fit” During Grade 11 College Night, students and their parents learn the ins and outs of identifying colleges that are a “right fit.” Topics also include SAT-I and SAT-II preparation, and comprehensive information to make the college admission process more manageable.

Grade 12 College Night - “The College Financial Aid Application Process” In addition to learning the ins and outs of preparing college financial aid application, this workshop also includes strategies for managing senior year anxiety and stress.

Special Workshops-“An Evening with Jacques Steinberg” Best-selling author and New York Times education correspondent, Jacques Steinberg, presented a talk on his book, The Gate-Keepers, Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College. Mr. Steinberg’s book examines how the college admissions process really works. During the workshop, the author shared his insights into the complex and competitive world of college admissions.

Visiting Colleges College visits include window-shopping excursions or visits for the admission interview. We encourage families to visit schools early and often. In addition, Grade 11 and 12 students and their advisors visit various colleges as part of the Academy’s Summer College Tour. Individual colleges are selected for the tour based on interest, and the Academy provides transportation at no expense. The 2003 two-day tour visited Yale University, Fairfield University, Manhattan College, Fordham University, Columbia University, Villanova University, Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania.

The Summer College Tour has proven to be a popular “first look” at a variety of college atmospheres. Many of the colleges we visit send representatives to our campus in the fall. About fifty colleges send admissions officers to the Academy every year to meet with students to answer questions about their institutions.

College Fairs Every May students participate in an annual Brooklyn and Staten Island Independent School College Fair. Over 200 college representatives attend this event. In May 2009, the Academy will host the College Fair. College Guidance also encourages students to attend college fairs sponsored by the National Association of College Admissions Counseling.

The Academy offers Advanced Placement courses with the potential for college credit and advanced standing. The english and mathematics curriculums provide students with a solid preparation for the SAT-I. Academy students are also strongly encouraged to take SAT-II subject tests.