College Counseling
College Counseling Begins Long Before the College Search
By the time Bancroft students begin building college lists, they have already spent years building something even more important: a sense of who they are.
Preparing for What Comes Next
From the moment a student first steps onto campus, Bancroft begins preparing them for the choices that will shape what comes next.
In PreK, that does not mean choosing a college. It means learning to ask questions, try something new, work with others, and share an idea with confidence. As students move through the grades, those early experiences grow into independence, self-knowledge, and the ability to make thoughtful decisions.
Our Portrait of a Bancroft Learner shows that connection from PreK through graduation. By the time more formal college counseling begins, students are not starting with a blank page. They have already spent years discovering their strengths, exploring their interests, and learning how to advocate for themselves.
The Application Isn’t A Finish Line
At Bancroft, college counseling helps students connect their interests and strengths to what they may want to pursue next. Through courses, leadership opportunities, college fairs, visiting representatives, and conversations with counselors, advisors, teachers, and families, students develop a clearer sense of what they want from college.
And the learning keeps going. During Senior Co-Op, students step into workplaces ranging from sports broadcasting and game development to health education and outdoor learning, testing their interests in the real world and beginning to imagine where those interests might lead.
Your College Counseling Journey
Bancroft’s college counseling program becomes increasingly individualized as students move through Upper School. Counselors work closely with students and families, drawing on the insight of teachers and advisors who know each student well.
You won’t simply build a college list. You’ll explore what you value, how you learn, and where you are most likely to continue growing.
Recent College Matriculations
Timeline
Grades 9 and 10: Find Your Footing. Try Everything
Grade 11: Connect the Dots
Grade 12: Bring It All Together
From the College Counseling Office
“Our junior program gives students the space to reflect on who they are and what they actually want from a college experience. Rather than jumping straight to lists and rankings, we slow down and help students get clear on their strengths, interests, and what matters most to them so the search feels like theirs, not something being done to them.“
– Georgette Small, Director of College Counseling