As our students conclude the fall semester and take their final exams, Storm King’s College Counseling Office is ready for winter and already looking toward spring. “As we embark on our extended winter holiday, I want all of my students to know that the College Counseling Office will be available throughout the break,” explained Director of College Counseling Dr. Marti Kwon. “This has been a challenging year for students who are researching and applying to schools and taking standardized tests. Our goal is to keep everyone on track and start again strong when we return in February, especially juniors and seniors.”

“In light of the continuing pandemic, the most effective way to work with students and families has been via one-on-one meetings done synchronously or via Zoom,” continued Dr. Kwon. “These meetings will be available upon request until the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. With juniors, we will be discussing their ideas about possible colleges and the career world and providing guidance on virtual tours, webinars, live chat forums, and other online engagement opportunities offered by colleges and universities during the spring.  For seniors, we will continue advising them as they complete and submit their applications over the winter holiday. In parallel to the national trend, many of our seniors have passed over the early decision and early action application deadlines and opted for normal decision deadlines when applying to colleges this year. Many colleges have also extended these deadlines, so keeping abreast of the changes is key.”

Additionally, the College Counseling Office will continue to monitor changes in the college admission process and work closely with its college and university colleagues to adjust guidance to our students as necessary. One of these areas is standardized testing. “A trend that began earlier in the year, more and more colleges and universities are making applications test-optional. Students should thoroughly research prospective schools for this option, and try not to become overly stressed about taking standardized tests,” she continued.

“That being said, I encourage students to use the time over our extended Winter Break to take advantage of a number of SAT Prep options to get ready for spring tests. Students and families should watch their e-mail for details about available SAT prep options. I also want to remind everyone that all SKS students have access to a free self-paced prep course through their Naviance account.  The course includes review materials and test-taking strategies, as well as several practice tests,” explained Dr. Kwon.

“It’s been a challenging semester for all of our students, but I encourage everyone to keep up the good work, stay on track, and to keep in close contact with me throughout the winter. I can’t wait to be back in school in February and see all the great schools our juniors and seniors are applying and gaining admission to,” said Dr. Kwon

Dr. Kwon can be reached via email at mkwon@sks.org