College Guidance
We help students discover their passions, identify their strengths, and create direction in their lives.
A College Match For Each Student
We are committed to helping every student match with the college or university where they will thrive.
“College preparation” at Griffin is a 4-year process of exploration, interaction, and reflection through which students form a sense of identity and direction. This is the foundation for the college admissions journey. Working in tandem with the College Counseling program, we offer a unique set of Skills Workshops, weekly sessions throughout grades 9-12, in which students take charge of their learning and their own path to college. We believe that empowering our students to know themselves and to be responsible for their education sets them up to achieve their college goals.
Individualized College Guidance for All Students
Our comprehensive college guidance program assists students in each step of their journey to college.
- Through all their coursework, freshmen learn critical study skills, form healthy life habits, and explore new ideas and perspectives. Each fall, our 9th graders get a guided, interactive tour of UT Austin to get a taste of life on a college campus.
- During sophomore year, students are asked to start identifying their personal strengths and interests - the elements that will shape the college search process. Our college counselor works with 10th graders to plan for course selections that will support their path to college.
- Sophomores take an introductory, in-house test preparation course in the spring semester and sit for an SAT and ACT practice test.
- The college admissions cycle is in full force during junior and senior years. Our college counselor works closely with students in this period, leading weekly whole-grade class sessions and working individually with students and families to support their admissions process. Students get structure and support organizing college application materials, deadlines, and research notes about different schools. From creating a balanced college list to crafting an authentic and effective personal essay to making the right college choice, our college counselor is there to help.
- Our Director of College Counseling provides informational events that are open to all students and parents about college admissions logistics and strategy, financial aid, case studies, and dealing with life transitions. She has a deep expertise in the college admissions process, and she is passionate about helping students tell their own story through their applications.
Where Do We Go From Here?
No matter what discipline they pursue, Griffin School graduates are prepared for success in collegiate academics and for an active and reflective life that is full of new learning. Want a sense of the colleges and universities our students attend?