FAQs

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I'M THINKING OF PURSUING COLLEGE ATHLETIC RECRUITING?

Depending on the sport, NCAA Division I recruiting can begin early in a student’s high school career; NCAA Division III programs will recruit later, often into the summer before senior year. If you are thinking of playing a sport in college, be sure that your Stuart and club coaches know of that interest in your sophomore year so that they can help guide you. (However, if you develop that interest later, that is ok.) Participating in camps and tournaments during the school year and summer can help with exposure to college coaches. It is also a good idea to meet with College Counseling sooner rather than later to discuss your athletic aspirations and academic preparation. Your coaches and counselors can help you with how to reach out to college coaches and guide you in assessing your fit for an athletic and academic program.

You should also register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at the beginning of your junior year, though this can be done later. There is a fee to register, and fee waivers are available to those who qualify.

HOW MANY AP CLASSES SHOULD I TAKE?

It’s important to remember that AP classes are not the only way for you to challenge yourself at Stuart, as we offer many rigorous courses that don’t follow the College Board’s AP curriculum. It’s also important to choose the courses that are appropriate for you, your strengths, and your interests. Thus, there is no standard correct number of AP courses to take to be admitted to a particular college, as it is much better to choose a curriculum that allows you to reasonably push yourself and grow as an academic while doing that at a level that allows you to have time to explore non-academic interests, sleep, and enjoy your upper school years.

IS IT BETTER TO GET AN A IN A CLASS THAT IS EASIER OR A B IN A MORE ADVANCED CLASS?

Generally speaking, it’s best to earn the best grades you can in the strongest course load you can comfortably handle, and for your schedule to challenge you but not drain you. This will be different for every student, and as such, there is no standard recommendation for the total number of advanced courses. Asking this question reduces the college admission process to a formula--which is generally not how college admissions works in the United States.

HOW DO GPA AND CLASS RANK WORK?

At Stuart, as at many independent schools, we do not report GPA and class rank to colleges. In fact, we do not calculate class rank at all, and the GPA that is calculated is used for internal purposes to help you conduct research on colleges, rather than to be reported externally.

HOW ARE STUART’S CURRICULUM AND OTHER OFFERINGS EXPLAINED TO COLLEGES?

Most colleges review applications holistically, meaning that they take into account the context of the environments in which the student lives and attends school. Thus, they need to be able understand Stuart and its academic and extracurricular offerings, as well as values and mission. This is conveyed in a variety of ways, most notably through our school profile, a document that is sent with each application and describes our philosophy, commitment to community service and the Goals and Criteria, curriculum highlights, notable programs, grade distribution, standardized test scores, colleges where Stuart alumnae have enrolled, and more. Additionally, your college counselor’s recommendation letter also provides context about the individual student’s coursework and contributions to the Stuart community, and should extra information need to be provided, your counselor can communicate that to college admission offices to paint a full picture of who you are as a student and person within the context of Stuart.

WHAT ACTIVITIES SHOULD I BE DOING?

Similar to how, in academics, appropriate challenge means different things to different students, you should pursue extracurricular activities that speak to your individual interests and strengths. There are a wide range of sports, clubs, and groups offered at Stuart (and outside of school!); your upper school years are prime time to explore what’s out there. Once you know what you like, stick with activities that are exciting to you, that enrich your life and bring a sense of purpose and joy to it. Whether you are the type of student who wants to be involved in a variety of things or just focus your energy on a few activities, both students have the ability to stand out in the college admission process. The more important question to ask yourself is “why do I do what I do?” It is your ability to articulate the answer to that question that will matter more in your application process than the actual activities themselves.

WHAT SUMMER ACTIVITIES ARE BEST FOR COLLEGE?

Summer is a time to rest and recharge, but it’s also a time to dive deeper into things you love to do. While you should aim to do something in your time off (besides sleep in!), there is truly no right or wrong answer to what you should do with your time. Perhaps you want to take on a job to earn some income, or participate in a camp that will get you outdoors, or apply to an academic program that will expose you to an area of study that intrigues you, or volunteer at an organization you care about. Any of these activities can be worthwhile experiences that can help you grow. Like activities during the school year, it’s what you take from your summer experiences that matters most.

WHEN DO WE APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID?

Typically, financial aid applications are due to colleges at about the same time as your child’s college admission applications (either around November 1 or January 1). The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available starting in October of the year before your student will enroll in college and uses the prior-prior year’s federal tax return information to calculate your eligibility. (You can still share more current financial information with colleges.) The FAFSA is required for all colleges if you plan to apply for financial assistance. Another form, the CSS Profile, is also available in October but is not required by many colleges, so it makes sense to wait a bit to file that form until you know for sure where your daughter is applying (keeping in mind that lists often change through December). 

HOW CAN WE TELL IF A COLLEGE WILL BE AFFORDABLE FOR OUR FAMILY?

Every college and university in the U.S. is required to have a net price calculator on their financial aid website to help families estimate what the cost of attendance would be for them. We strongly encourage you to use that tool at each college your daughter is considering to determine whether it will be affordable for your family. If you have questions, you can always call the college’s financial aid office, and for guidance on how to have these conversations, please reach out to Stuart’s College Counseling Office.

HOW CAN WE PLAN IN ADVANCE?

Stuart provides access to SMARTTRACK College Funding. Through webinars and personalized assessments, as well as access to college funding advisors, this service and tool can help you learn how best to pay for college.

IS OUR FAMILY BEHIND?

It is likely that no matter when you are reading this response, the answer is, simply, no. Having your daughter attend school at Stuart, as part of a close-knit community with a strong college-preparatory curriculum means that you are way ahead of the game. Preparing young women for lives of exceptional leadership and service is at the core of our mission, and guidance in the college process is part of that. Be sure to read communication from the College Counseling Office; we’ll reach out at appropriate times to keep you on track!

WHEN SHOULD WE MEET WITH OUR DAUGHTER’S COLLEGE COUNSELOR?

Stuart families are always welcome to reach out to the College Counseling Office as questions arise. When and how often are very individual questions and depend on the preferences of the family. When formal college counseling work with students begins in the late fall of junior year, it is typically best for the counselor to meet individually with the student before meeting with the parents so that the counselor can get to know the student individually first. Keeping an open line of communication is important in the college process, though, so it is never a problem to check in!  If you are the parent of a junior and haven’t completed the parent questionnaire (after our kick-off program in November), please fill this out, as it is extremely helpful in getting to know your daughter.

HOW CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD DO IN THE COLLEGE PROCESS?

Monthly newsletters are sent to all junior and senior parents to keep you in the loop about what you should be doing or thinking about at that time. Additionally, the College Counseling Office hosts evening programs for parents to learn about timely topics. Should you have questions about the college process outside of those opportunities, please reach out to our office.

SHOULD WE HIRE AN INDEPENDENT COUNSELOR?

The college counseling program at Stuart is extremely personal with a college counselor dedicated to helping students and families through every aspect of the college search and application process. With extensive experience in highly selective college admissions and independent school college counseling, our college counselor is eager and able to answer questions about courses and testing, assist students on application and essay preparation and completion, advise on how to sort through financial aid packages and choose a school--and much more.  

As families get closer to application time, many costly offers can arise for hiring consultants to help with college lists, applications, essays, athletic recruiting, and interview preparation--but having another advisor can often muddy the waters and confuse students as they are presented with different perspectives.  If you are thinking about paying for independent college counseling, please have a conversation with us first to discuss whether assistance outside of the comprehensive support we provide at Stuart would be helpful or not.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

We recommend waiting to visit colleges until junior year, as students' preferences in college campuses often change, making earlier visits less helpful in your college search. Of course, some students are eager to get started and see what options are out there. If this is you, it’s best to start with colleges close to home or close to a place you are visiting to make transportation easier--or, explore the vast virtual tours and programming that colleges offer on their admission websites. When visiting or researching a school, be sure to attend the information session and tour to get a broad overview of the college.

WHAT SHOULD I ASK ON A COLLEGE TOUR? 

It is a good idea to have questions prepared ahead of time when you visit a college. What those questions are depends on what matters most to your college search. Think about one or two things each relating to the physical campus, the academic programs, and the social/residential life at each school that are most important to you in your future college experience and make sure you leave knowing the answers to each of those questions.

Think about things like location (proximity to home, weather, how students engage with the town), opportunities (research, relationships with professors, interesting programs, alumni connections), and how you spend your free time (activities, living conditions, school spirit). Keep good notes! With your list of criteria and answers at the ready, you’ll be able to more evenly compare very different schools, and articulate why you do or do not think a certain school would be a good fit for you.

WHAT IS THE PSAT? 

The Preliminary SAT (PSAT) is a chance for sophomores and juniors to take the SAT within a testing environment without impact on college admissions. Students at Stuart are automatically registered for the exam, and students and families receive more information about it in the fall. No preparation is necessary for students as the exam in and of itself is preparation and allows students to see areas where they might improve before taking the SAT--or determine if the SAT is the right test for them. The junior year sitting is also used as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). While earning this scholarship is an honor, it is also not something that impacts chances of admission.

WHEN SHOULD I INITIALLY TAKE THE SAT OR ACT?

We feel that students are best prepared to take the SAT or ACT for the first time in winter or early spring of junior year. Before junior year, it is a good idea to take a practice ACT in addition to the PSAT to determine which test is more comfortable for you. Many test prep companies offer opportunities to take practice exams, and we also offer free opportunities to take a practice test through Stuart. 

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS?

The best method for test preparation is the one that works best for you as a learner. Some students prefer one on one tutoring (in-person or online), others prefer being part of a class, and others learn best when they self-study with a book or an online program (like Khan Academy). While some tutoring and class options can be quite expensive, many affordable options exist--and higher cost doesn’t always equal better results. If cost is an issue for your family, please speak with your college counselor. 

WILL APPLYING TEST-OPTIONAL PUT ME AT A DISADVANTAGE?

Test-optional admission has been around for more than 50 years at some of the most selective colleges and universities in the country. More and more colleges were instituting test-optional and test-flexible policies before 2020, but the pandemic led the vast majority of colleges to become test-optional or test-blind in the 2021 application cycle, and that has remained for students graduating high school in 2022. This is an excellent opportunity for you to choose whether or not you feel your test scores are an accurate reflection of your academic capabilities, as last year’s admission cycle proved that colleges will not view your application in a negative light if you do not submit testing. We encourage you to speak with your college counselor about what makes the most sense for you individually.

For Fall 2022, Stuart is returning to in person college representative visits. Visits are held most days from Monday, September 19 - Tuesday, October 25 at 2:30 PM and 3:15 PM. Due to space constraints, each time slot is limited to two admission officers. 

We are using Scoir to schedule visits this year.  Please click here to register, and contact Cindy Michalak (cmichalak@stuartschool.org) should you have trouble with signing up or if our schedule doesn't line up with your travel plans.

Thank you for including Stuart in your fall travel plans!