College Counseling Philosophy

Our goal is that 100% of our scholars will apply to college. To support our college bound population and mission, we have committed to offering a developmentally appropriate college counseling program. Scholars will become more knowledgeable about their individual skills, academic goals, and college choices, and will be empowered, guided, and supported as they progress through the college selection and application process.

College Counseling Timeline by Level

First Level Rhetoric (1R)
The focus of this year is to help scholars understand different fundamentals of college preparation by being successful School of Rhetoric students. Since scholars need to focus primarily on their School of Rhetoric academic goals, counselors meet twice yearly with students to help them understand the concept of college, reinforce academic and extracurricular decision making, and discuss the importance of summer opportunities. Counselors also hold seminars for parents to educate them on the landscape of college admissions and financing their child’s education.

Second Level Rhetoric (2R)
In the fall, counselors invite families to attend a seminar on starting the college search utilizing college fairs and college visits. In the spring, counselors introduce scholars to Naviance by exploring different career interests and discussing how interests impact their college search. Counselors educate parents on the overall college admission process and the specific role testing plays in college admission.

Third Level Rhetoric (3R)
Counselors work with scholar groups, taking them through a series of bi-weekly class lessons. The goal of the work during first semester is for scholars to gain a deeper understanding of who they are, establish criteria for the college search process, and understand how to research and evaluate colleges and universities. During the second semester, scholars begin to plan their individual application processes while continuing to explore colleges. Class lessons focus on resumes, demonstrating interest, college application requirements and college essay questions. Counselors meet individually with families during the fall and spring semesters to discuss goals specific to the scholar.

Fourth Level Rhetoric (4R)
Counselors will help finalize and review lists of colleges and develop an application plan with each student. Counselors review essays and work with scholars and families to complete admissions and financial aid applications by the deadlines. Parnassus ensures all letters of recommendation, transcripts, and other school- based documents are submitted by the application deadlines.