COLLEGE COUNSELING AT STEWARD
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2019 WILL BE ATTENDING 30 DIFFERENT COLLEGES/ UNIVERSITIES NEXT YEAR IN 11 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND SPAIN.
87
$5,467,740
5
30 CLASS OF
2019
FUN FACTS As in past years, all Steward seniors who applied
THE NUMBER OF SENIORS ATTENDING COLLEGE AS
to college were offered
NCAA DIVISION
admission to four-year
III RECRUITED
AMOUNT
institutions.
ATHLETES FOR:
SENIORS EARNED
BASEBALL
IN MERIT
(1), MENS
SCHOLARSHIPS
THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
BASKETBALL
COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES THAT
(2), WOMENS
OFFERED ACCEPTANCE TO
LACROSSE (1),
STEWARD’S SENIORS.
AND WOMENS
THEY WERE
VOLLEYBALL (1).
ACCEPTED.
FROM ALL OF THE SCHOOLS TO WHICH
SENIORS WERE ADMITTED
120
TO COMPETITIVE DIRECTADMISSION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING:
nursing, musical theatre, arts management, visual arts, animal
5
science, mechanical engineering, THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2019 TOOK 120 AP EXAMS DURING THEIR UPPER SCHOOL CAREERS.
computer science, economics, business administration, finance,
THE NUMBER OF SENIORS
accounting, and
COMMITTED TO STUDY THE ARTS
international relations.
IN COLLEGE.
What sets Steward’s programs apart? ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDIES In spring 2017, Steward launched an Entrepreneurship Studies Program in the Upper School. The program allows our students to opt into new opportunities for learning, as well as the ability to earn a unique credential that will prepare them both for their college applications and their future careers. Students in this program have formed partnerships with companies including Capital One and The Martin Agency, gaining access to mentorship from executives and partnering to conceptualize new ideas for their companies.
MINIMESTER Every March, all Upper School students participate in Minimester, which is an opportunity to learn outside of the classroom. Freshmen complete community service and tour several colleges, while sophomores and juniors participate in internships and international travel. Seniors use this week to put the finishing touches on research for their Senior Projects.
TRAVEL At Steward, we seek to cultivate in our students global understanding and appreciation for different cultures. Therefore, Upper School students have the opportunity to travel abroad to gain real-
world experience by immersing themselves in other cultures. Recent international trips have ventured to China, Spain, Italy, and Ecuador and the Galapagos.
COMMUNITY SERVICE At the heart of Steward’s curriculum is the value of responsible citizenship—caring for a cause beyond oneself. Instilled at every grade level, good citizenship is promoted by programs and traditions that bridge the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. In the Upper School, students choose their community service involvements, and many students will accumulate hundreds of hours of service by graduation.
peers, teachers, and families. A beloved annual tradition since the school’s founding, this “rite of passage” is rooted in a strong belief in the importance of both public speaking skills and the ability to craft a sincere and passionate message.
ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION Skill-building, good sportsmanship, and strong participation are the cornerstones of Steward’s athletic program. Because of our purposeful small size, our expert coaches are able to get to know each player, both on and off the field. At all levels, we are focused on developing the whole athlete, emphasizing skill as well as character, confidence, leadership, and teamwork.
CLUBS In Upper School, students may start their own clubs with the support of a faculty adviser. At the annual Club Fair, students sign up to participate in a variety of clubs. From the Entrepreneurship Club to the Operation Smile Club, to the student-run online newspaper Steward Ink, there’s a student-run organization for every Spartan’s passion.
SENIOR SPEECHES Each winter, every member of the senior class takes the stage at Steward to deliver an original speech to an audience of their
THE ARTS Steward embraces our history of strong visual and performing arts programs. Upper School students enjoy taking classes in visual arts, photography, technical theatre, acting, chorus, and band. Outside of the school day, they participate in Steward’s plays, musicals, pep band, and drum line. Many students are also busy in community theatre, local and regional choruses, bands, orchestras, and summer arts intensives.
1
2
I AM A We caught up with some of Steward’s alumni to hear about how they each found the path to college that was right for them.
1
LAUREN CANTOR ‘18
Lauren is enrolled in Virginia Tech’s prestigious architecture program with a highly sought after merit scholarship. How did the College Counseling Office help you decide what schools, majors, and programs to look into? “I’ve known since Middle School that I wanted to be an architect, but Ms. Jeter helped reaffirm my goal as she encouraged me to complete internships and take architecture classes like the one I completed at Tulane in the summer of 2017. Ms. Jeter was also very helpful in helping me apply to architecture programs around the country, create my portfolio, and gain admission into a top-five program for architecture.” How did the College Counseling Office help you during the application process? “In Senior College Seminar, I had time with Ms. Jeter and Ms. Wilkerson for them to look over my essays, applications, and portfolio for architecture programs. Then, the College Counseling Office helped me send in my standardized test scores and the actual application to ensure I didn’t miss a deadline or any part of the application.”
3
2
CARLOS & MICHAEL CEVALLOS
Carlos and Michael Cevallos are Steward alumni and veterans of LEAP (Latino Education and Advancement Program), which takes place every summer at Steward. As recent University of Richmond graduates, Carlos entered medical school at the University of Virginia in August 2018, and Michael is a Gates Millennium Scholar studying to be a dentist at Harvard University. CARLOS ‘13: Tell us about your experience with LEAP at Steward. “I participated in LEAP every summer starting after seventh grade. The program encourages Latino kids to go to college and pursue higher education. We attended classes, heard motivational speakers, and went on college tours. It was a lot of fun and helped to keep my mind on college during the summers.” MICHAEL ‘14: How did the College Counseling Office help you decide which school was right for you? “Toward the end of the college counseling process, I was trying to decide between a few different schools in Virginia. Ms. Jeter advised me to think about what sort of class size I was looking for. I liked the small class sizes at Steward and having that
kind of access to my teachers. That’s one of the main reasons I chose University of Richmond.” 3
TED BENSON ‘01
Ted recently sold his Silicon Valley-based web development platform Cloudstitch to data-driven software company Instabase. Cloudstitch is now growing faster than ever, and Ted remains at the helm. Tell us about your early experiences with the College Counseling Office. “The College Counseling Office’s continued presence with students all the way through high school provided a path toward college application. Everything fell into place naturally, because Steward had been coordinating the softer skills of education all along – speaking up, thinking critically, and looking at the big picture.” Did the College Counseling Office help you decide on a major or a specific program? “I was interested in a lot of different things as a student, and one of the nice things about the college counseling process was that Steward was very encouraging of keeping in mind well-roundedness. Steward taught me that nothing replaces a wellrounded education. That lasts forever, and you have your whole career ahead of you to specialize.”
4
6
7
8
5
4
MARVIN CANNON ’17
Marvin is fulfilling a lifelong dream – he’s playing Division I college basketball for the Washington State Cougars. The small forward averaged 21.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game when he played in his senior year at Steward. How did the College Counseling Office help you decide which school was right for you? “The teachers and college counselors at Steward were great about preparing me for what’s required to play at the Division I level, including academic qualifications and course load expectations. The school also helped me stay on track with taking the SAT and ACT, while also fostering a positive community environment.” 5
SAMANTHA BISGER ‘09
Samantha works as design assistant for Kemble Interiors in New York City, a passion she discovered during her Minimester internship at Steward. How were you supported during the college application process at Steward? “The College Counseling Office gave all of us individualized attention and helped us all to get into the college that felt exactly right to each of us. It was so comforting during a process that can be stressful at times.”
6
TUCKER JOHNSON ‘17
Tucker, an Aerospace Engineering major, joined West Virginia University’s Experimental Rocketry team as a freshman. He was able to share in his team’s victory at the Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico, where they captured second place for launching their rocket in the 10k ft. SRAD Solid category. Did the College Counseling Office help you decide on a major or a specific program? “I knew what I wanted to do [aerospace engineering], but Ms. Jeter helped me find a place that would allow me to do it while also getting the full college experience. She told me about West Virginia University, and I realized when I visited that it was a perfect fit for me – and still is. Ms. Jeter was indispensable during the application process, and I probably wouldn’t be at WVU right now without her, even if I had heard about it through other means.” 7
CASSANDRA MARTINEZ ‘14
Cassandra is a recent graduate of Emerson College’s Writing, Literature, and Publishing program and has begun her career in the publishing industry at Pearson Education in Boston.
How did the College Counseling Office help you decide which school was right for you? “I wanted to major in something a little more specialized than a general English program but wasn’t sure what that would look like. Ms. Jeter helped me find schools that would give me options. We looked at schools that had multiple programs that I was interested in, where I would be in the environment I wanted, and then be able to decide what I wanted to do from there. Ms. Jeter suggested Emerson, thinking I would like it. I didn’t know much about it at first, but when I applied, I completely loved it; that ended up being the school that I chose.” 8
XZAVIER CALDWELL ‘18
Xzavier graduated from Steward in 2018 and received a major grant from Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he is majoring in Music Industry Studies. How were you supported during the college application process at Steward? “Ms. Jeter held my hand through the entire process and really pushed me to get things done. I wasn’t aware of [Drexel] until Ms. Jeter recommended it to me. When I got in, it was the obvious choice for me based on the financial aid offered, the location, and the fact that Drexel’s curriculum included the exact major I was looking for.”
THE STEWARD SCHOOL COLLEGE COUNSELING EXPERIENCE At The Steward School, college counseling is a multi-year, highly personalized process. Our goal is to help each student discover what type of college fits them best, and, ultimately, for them to attend a top-choice school.
AN EARLY START • Families throughout the Steward community are invited to meet with the college counselors at any time during their students’ education. • The College Counseling Office hosts biannual meetings to share information pertinent to each step in the Upper School student’s progression. • Beginning in grade 9, students visit colleges on school-sponsored trips.
PERSONALIZED PLANS • College counselors help students make wise, balanced choices regarding course selection and rigor. • In second semester of grade 11, each student has a family meeting with a college counselor in order to discuss topics such as: their individual plan for standardized testing, maximizing their summer opportunities, and crafting their college application list. • College counselors support seniors as they finalize their college application lists, fill out applications, and write application essays. The counselors proofread applications and help students to ideate, plan, and proofread creative essays. With the counselors’ assistance, students submit all of their college applications before the Winter Break. • Financial aid is a major consideration for many families, and the college counselors are well-versed in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile). The counselors will also assist students with finding and applying for merit-based scholarships.
• As students receive their application results, the college counselors help them to weigh their options and compare financial aid packages.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES • Each fall, over 100 college and university representatives visit Steward. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to attend these meetings, which provide important learning and connecting opportunities. • Each spring, juniors attend the Richmond Area Independent Schools (RAIS) College Fair. There, they meet with representatives from over 200 colleges and universities and expand their college considerations.
ATHLETIC RECRUITMENT ASSISTANCE • For aspiring collegiate athletes, the college counselors help to guide students through the complex recruiting process, including NCAA guidelines and eligibility.
JUNIOR COLLEGE TOUR • In fall of grade 11, juniors embark on the Junior College Tour: an overnight trip to visit different types of colleges. This tour is an invaluable step in the college exploration process as students discover and focus on the qualities that define their unique preferences.
COLLEGE SEMINAR • Second-semester juniors and first-semester seniors take a College Seminar class, in which they meet with the college counselors and cover topics including: learning about a variety of colleges, creating an extracurricular resume, practicing for interviews, and working on essays and applications.
In our annual parent survey, 97% of families gave our College Counseling office high marks, listing it as a top program in the Upper School.
Meet the Counseling Team HEATHER JETER, Director of College Counseling Ms. Jeter has spent 19 years as an educator and college counselor in independent schools and has been a Director of College Counseling for the past 14 years. She is passionate about helping students discover the types of colleges that are perfect for them and celebrating with them as they transition to life as college students. With undergraduate and graduate degrees in English Literature, Ms. Jeter especially enjoys working with students as they craft unique, creative application essays. HONORS: • Named “2009 Virginia Counselor of the Year” by the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC) • Received the “Carolyn R. Brandt Outstanding Upper School Teacher Award” in 2016 • Received the “Paul R. Cramer Award,” Steward’s highest honor, in 2018 LEADERSHIP/PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS: • Past Secretary and Member of the Executive Committee and President’s Council of PCACAC • Past Annual Conference Planner for PCACAC • Past Member and Chair of the Editorial Board for NACAC’s The Journal of College Admission
KHADIJAH LUQMAN, Associate Director of College Counseling Ms. Luqman has been an educator for 16 years. Prior to Steward, she spent 14 years as a Spanish teacher, where she informally found herself assisting first-generation prospective college students through their college selection process. This led her to pursue a Master’s in School Counseling, and serve as a high school counselor. She joined Steward in 2017 as a Spanish teacher and added college counseling to her repertoire in 2019. Ms. Luqman loves helping students manage their unique path to finding their college “fit.”
JEN WILKERSON, College Counselor Ms. Wilkerson joined the College Counseling Office at Steward in 2014 and has worked in the education field for many years. Prior to working at Steward, she managed a project redesigning an Educational Administration curriculum for a major university’s master’s degree program and created blended learning modules for Master’s of Education students at the university. She has also served on admission committees at the university level. As a college counselor, she enjoys helping students learn to manage their time and emotions throughout the application process and during their transition to college.
Contact the team at collegecounseling@stewardschool.org to set up a meeting today or visit stewardschool.org/collegecounseling.
THE STEWARD SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE LIST 2015 – 2019 Nearly 100% of the students in these graduating classes were accepted to a top choice school. The University of Alabama American University Appalachian State University Arizona State University University of Arizona The University of the Arts Auburn University Averett University Belmont University Bennington College Berry College Bethany College Bluefield College Boston College Boston Conservatory at Berklee Boston University Brandeis University Bridgewater College Bucknell University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz Campbell University Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University The Catholic University of America College of Charleston Christopher Newport University University of Cincinnati Clark University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University University of Colorado at Boulder Columbia College Chicago University of Connecticut Cornell University Davidson College
University of Delaware Denison University University of Denver Dickinson College Drew University Drexel University Duke University East Carolina University Eastern Mennonite University Eckerd College The University of Edinburgh Elon University Emerson College Emory & Henry College Emory University Ferrum College Flagler College University of Florida Fordham University Full Sail University Furman University Gardner-Webb University George Mason University The George Washington University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Southern University University of Georgia University of Glasgow Goucher College Guilford College Hampden-Sydney College Hampton University Harrisburg Univ. of Science and Tech. University of Hartford High Point University Hofstra University Hollins University Howard University U. of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University of Pennsylvania The University of Iowa James Madison University
Johns Hopkins University Kalamazoo College University of Kansas University of Kentucky Lehigh University Liberty University Longwood University Louisiana State University University of Louisville Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland University of Lynchburg Universiteit Maastricht Macalester College The University of Manchester Mary Baldwin University University of Mary Washington Maryland Institute College of Art University of Maryland, College Park Marymount Manhattan College Marymount University Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Boston McDaniel College McGill University Miami University, Oxford University of Miami Michigan State University University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of Mississippi University of Missouri Columbia Montclair State University Morehouse College Muhlenberg College The New School New York University U. of North Carolina at Asheville
U. of North Carolina at Charlotte U. of North Carolina at Greensboro U. of North Carolina at Pembroke U. of North Carolina at Wilmington North Carolina State University North Carolina Wesleyan College Northeastern University Northern Illinois University Northwestern University University of Notre Dame The Ohio State University Old Dominion University University of Oregon Pace University, New York City Pennsylvania State University University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh Point Park University Providence College Purdue University Queens University of Charlotte Radford University Randolph College Randolph-Macon College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhodes College University of Richmond Rider University Roanoke College Robert Morris University Illinois Rochester Institute of Technology University of Rochester Rutgers University Saint Joseph’s University Salisbury University University of San Diego San Jose State University Savannah College of Art and Design Seton Hall University Sewanee: The University of the South Shenandoah University
Shepherd University University of South Carolina University of Southern California Southern Methodist University University of St Andrews St. Lawrence University Stevens Institute of Technology Stevenson University Stony Brook University Suffolk University SUNY Coll. of Env. Sci. and Forestry Sweet Briar College Syracuse University The University of Tampa Temple University University of Tennessee, Knoxville Texas Christian University Texas State University Tulane University Vanderbilt University Vassar College University of Vermont University of the Virgin Islands Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Military Institute Virginia State University Virginia Tech Virginia Union University Virginia Wesleyan University University of Virginia UVA’s College at Wise Wake Forest University Washington College Washington University in St. Louis University of Washington West Virginia University Western Carolina University Western Connecticut State University College of William and Mary Winthrop University University of Wisconsin, Madison Wofford College Xavier University
11600 Gayton Road, Richmond, Virginia 23238-3423 | Phone: 804.740.3394
WWW.STEWARDSCHOOL.ORG
F U E L T H E M I N D | S T I R T H E I M AG I N AT I O N | U N L E A S H T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S