Fall Advice for Class VIII Families
The final year at Winsor can sometimes feel like two separate experiences. The busy fall months filled with applications, leadership responsibilities, and challenging classes gradually give way to a spring filled with celebrations and the beginning of letting go. As the college application process kicks into gear in the coming weeks, remember to keep in mind that it is only one aspect of the senior experience at Winsor.
Here are a few things to keep in mind about the senior fall at Winsor:
We are paying attention, and everything will get done
Every student approaches the college application process differently, often similarly to how they manage other aspects of their lives. Some are planners, others procrastinators; some are detail-oriented while others are big-picture thinkers. Whatever approach your student takes, rest assured we make sure deadlines are met, recommendations and transcripts are sent, and students stay on track. Call us if you have concerns or questions!
Plans change . . . Stay flexible
Coping with uncertainty is one of the most challenging aspects of the college application process. What should the final college list look like? Where should a student apply early? Which test scores should they submit? What should they write about in a supplemental essay?
Understandably, many families would love to cover every base, prepare for every possible contingency, and have every piece of the application finished during the first week of school. But college plans, like teenagers themselves, are a work in progress. Priorities shift, new information emerges, and students keep learning more about both themselves and the colleges they are considering. Learning to adjust when circumstances change is an important part of the process.
The final year of high school requires students to practice skills essential to success in college
Checking (and responding to) email, something many students are not yet in the habit of doing consistently, is just one of the essential skills students will need in college. Once they enroll, parents are largely out of the loop, and students are responsible for managing a myriad of details, from housing forms to course registration, often before they even arrive on campus.
Applying to college is valuable practice for the independence that lies ahead. Students learn to create systems for tracking admission and financial aid portals, meet deadlines, follow up on missing information, and communicate directly with college personnel. At Winsor, we have many built-in safety nets, and we work hard to ensure that students don’t slip through the cracks. At the same time, part of our job is to gradually step back and give them opportunities to manage these responsibilities themselves because, in just a few short months, they will be expected to do exactly that!
Cherish the time with your student, but also get excited for the next steps—whatever they may be!
We hear consistently from seniors in the fall that, more than anything, they worry about disappointing their parents. As difficult as it can be, one of the most important jobs for families during senior fall is to manage their own anxiety and remind their student, as often as possible, that they are proud of who they are becoming, regardless of where they are ultimately admitted.
Connecting with friends whose children have already been through the college process provides reassuring perspective. At the same time, comparing your student’s choices, accomplishments, or outcomes with those of classmates or others in your social circle is unhelpful at best and harmful at worst.
The reality is that admission decisions at the highly selective colleges many Winsor students aspire to attend are idiosyncratic and unpredictable. Trying to determine what another student did “right” may unintentionally send a painful message to your own child: not only that they aren’t doing enough, but that somehow they aren’t enough.
While there may be some stressful moments, there is also a lot of fun!
With so many different application deadlines, we can’t always align the school’s assessment calendar with the college admission calendar. However, we have built in a few opportunities for students to catch their breath. Days off in early October and around parent-teacher conferences can provide time for campus visits, application work, or simply catching up on homework and sleep. We also encourage students to use late passes strategically around particularly busy application deadlines.
Senior fall may be busy, but it is also packed with fun events, traditions, and activities. From painting the homeroom and beginning-of-year festivities to Spirit Week, leadership opportunities, and classes they often love, senior fall is, sneakily, one of the best semesters for many Winsor students.
