College Counseling

In grade 10, students continue working with Personal Counselors on deepening extracurricular involvement, exploring leadership and service roles, aligning academic course selection with future goals, and early understanding of the college admissions process.

In addition to meeting each semester with their assigned Personal Counselor, sophomores at Bellarmine:

• Meet as a class with College Counselors to learn about qualities sought by college admission officers as well as the realities of college admissions: grades, test scores, accomplishments, etc.
• Have the opportunity to attend 120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
• Take the PSAT.

• Attend CURA sessions designed to prepare them for career searches, to understand social-emotional health, and to develop their leadership and communication skills.

In grade 11, students are assigned to College Counselors who focus on:

• Meeting with students individually and with their families.
• Curating a balanced school list.
• Preparing for standardized testing.
• Ideating, drafting, and revising application essays.
• Organizing college visits.

In addition to their one-on-one work with their College Counselors, juniors at Bellarmine:

• Continue to meet with their assigned Personal Counselors.
• Attend CURA sessions to continue career exploration, to understand how to work through challenges, and to continue developing their leadership skills and commitment to service.
• Attend CURA sessions with College Counselors to learn about the timeline, vocabulary, and characteristics of colleges as well as the realities of college admissions and financing.
• Take the PSAT.
• Have the opportunity to attend 120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
• Have the opportunity to take a School Day SAT in March.
• Have the opportunity to attend the South Bay Area Case Studies with their parents, which gives them insights into how colleges make admission decisions and access to talk with 100+ college admission officers from around the country.
• Attend College Launch Part One in late May with their parents to confirm their understanding of vocabulary, college application and admission options, and the results of the current seniors’ applications and enrollment decisions.
• Begin drafting college application essays.
• Meet with their College Counselor and family to review their college preferences and plan college visits for the summer.

In grade 12, students continue working with College Counselors on:

• College lists.
• Securing Letters of Recommendation.
• Editing college application essays.
• Finalizing and submitting applications.
• Applying for scholarships and financial aid.
• Navigating deferral and appeal options as needed.
• Making an informed college decision.

In addition to their one-on-one work with their College Counselors, seniors at Bellarmine:

• Attend College Launch Part Two with their parents to learn the logistics of the college application process and review trends from the previous admissions cycle.
• Attend two CURA sessions with College Counselors to complete data for applications and review options for college decision making.
• Have the opportunity to attend 120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
• Attend College Financial Aid Night in late September.
• Attend Application Workshops to complete the Common Application, UC and CSU Application Forms (written guides are provided).
• Have the opportunity to take a School Day SAT in October.