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Comprehensive and ongoing college counseling is a hallmark of PDS.
A knowledgeable college counseling team assists upper school families
throughout the college inquiry and application process to help them
find the "right match." And although the inquiry and application
process begins in earnest during the spring of the junior year,
the team is available to meet and speak with families at any time
during students' PDS careers.
All juniors are required to take
the "College Prep" central study course in May (see
below for a description). A short newsletter is e-mailed periodically
to parents and students. It includes information on important
deadlines and upcoming on-campus events (such as parent information
evenings) and off-campus programs (such as local or college
fairs) as well as discusses current "hot topics" in
the field.
Additionally, the office produces a College Counseling Handbook,
designed to give families an overview of this process, as well
as a PDS Profile, which is sent to colleges as part of the school's
transcript packet for students.
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| Here, Don Fried, director of college
counseling at PDS, advises a student on options. For more
information on college counseling, including access to
an archive of monthly newsletters, visit our College
Resources page. |
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Ninth and Tenth Grade
Ninth and tenth grade students begin learning about the college
application process as they observe juniors and seniors discussing
colleges, visiting campuses, filling out applications and taking
SAT's. Generally, the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test
(PSAT) is taken during the fall of the tenth and eleventh grade
years; first-round SAT testing takes place in the spring of
the junior year and then again in the fall of the senior year.
SAT II subject tests are usually taken in December of the senior
year, but may be taken earlier. |
| Did you know...Each
year 100% of graduating seniors are admitted to selective
colleges, universities and schools of art.
View college acceptances/enrollments:
Read
the most recent school profile (PDF), which is sent
fo college admissions offices.
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Students have the option of enrolling in private SAT prep
courses outside of school, some of which are held at PDS.
Regular small-group parent meetings are held; individual parent
conferences are welcomed.
Eleventh and Twelfth Grade
During the spring, juniors are required to take a College
Prep central study course at school, which gives them a chance
to develop criteria for college selection, to create a résumé,
practice essay writing and interviewing and to begin visiting
colleges. Each fall, college admissions officers from numerous
art schools, colleges and universities visit Poughkeepsie
Day School (see list of this year's visits on the
Resources Page) to discuss their programs and to meet
with juniors and seniors. Throughout the junior year, students
are encouraged to meet with the college counselor and other
members of our college counseling team to develop tentative
lists of colleges to which they will apply. The individual
junior meeting with the faculty in May is a further opportunity
for each eleventh grader to reflect on his/her progress and
college options. Visits to college campuses continue during
the summer prior to and the fall of the senior year.
Poughkeepsie Day School's curricular emphasis on reading (including
comprehensive SAT vocabulary
practice throughout the upper school English program), analysis,
critical thinking and problem-solving prepares students very
well for the standardized college entrance tests. Teachers
familiarize students with testing formats and strategies through
practice test sessions and work in individual classes. During
the fall of the senior year, the college selection process
intensifies. Students make final decisions about where to
apply, write essays, complete applications and portfolios,
and go on interviews and campus visits. Throughout this process,
support is provided by the college counselor and other members
of the college counseling team. Early decision applications
are generally due by mid-November, with decisions made by
the holiday break; regular applications are due anywhere from
the end of December to mid-February, with decisions made by
early April. Some colleges, notably SUNY schools, have rolling
admissions, deciding on applications as they receive them.
Throughout the waiting period, the PDS college counselor is
in contact with college admissions offices to discuss candidates
and to answer any questions they may have about Poughkeepsie
Day School.
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