Eighteen admissions representatives from all over the nation joined King’s Grade 11 students in an interactive program designed to mimic the college admissions review process. The students reviewed sample college applications for five students. In small committees guided by their anonymous admissions professionals, they explored the pros and cons before ultimately determining which applicants to admit, deny, or waitlist. 

“I think the most important takeaway I had from the case study is the importance of showing who you truly are. I never expected that I would learn something so seemingly obvious, but through working with real college admissions officers, I was able to see how much they just want to learn who we are as students and as community members,” said Nicole Roer ’22, who participated in the program. “The College Counseling Department did a great job organizing the case study, and as I work on my applications for college, I will keep the knowledge I gained from the study in the back of my mind,” she added. 

One college representative said of the event, “The students were terrific. I can’t remember a case study program where everyone in my room (virtual or live) was so engaged and thoughtful.” At the end of the event, the admissions representatives shared their identities, revealing the likes of the University of Chicago, Boston College, University of Connecticut, Washington University in St. Louis, Duke University, Colorado College, and many other notable institutions.

Associate Director of College Counseling Julia Naclerio was a key player in organizing the event. “Junior year is an ideal time for students to connect with colleges. Students have had three years of high school to explore academic interests and hone in on what academic environments might be ideal for them,” she shared. “Case studies are a great way for students to learn how the application evaluation process works from admissions industry experts, which is valuable knowledge to have as a future college applicant,” Julia added. The College Counseling Office uses a four-year developmental approach to preparing students for college after King.