Philosophy

College Counseling at Holland Hall has at its heart the philosophy that the college application and selection process is a learning experience.  It is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about themselves at the same time they are developing higher order thinking skills, polishing their writing skills and becoming increasingly engaged in the classroom and on the athletic field.  Like the faculty that prepares them for future academic endeavors, we want to empower them in their choice of a post-secondary school to attend.  This process begins and ends with the idea of finding the right fit for each of our students and encouraging them to take charge of the process.

With that end in mind every senior meets once per cycle with his or her college counselor.  Having three counselors allows Holland Hall students an assurance of the assistance they will need in narrowing their choices, writing effective personal statements and preparing for interviews or campus visits.  This student to counselor ratio also allows us to teach Junior Seminar, a semester-long course, that prepares our juniors for the college selection process. (please see Junior Seminar Synopsis under Curriculum)

Our counselors visit dozens of college campuses annually, meet with admission officials and establish valuable contacts.  We serve on professional committees with those organizations dedicated to the transition students make between high school and college. In turn, over 100 representatives from colleges and universities come to Holland Hall’s Upper School yearly to meet with our students.  We take great pride in hosting deans of admissions at our annual Deans’ Night – building rapport with them and allowing them to see first hand the advantages Holland Hall offers its students.

Holland Hall combines solid academics with involvement in the arts, athletics, community service, student government and extracurricular activities.  Our graduates are valued for their individuality and their enthusiasm for learning.  We in College Counseling work very hard to make sure these strengths are recognized.  The success of the program can be seen in the wonderful diversity and range of schools our graduates attend.