Millbrook School

“Of all the stages of life, adolescence is the most volatile – full of promise, energy, and because of newly achieved freedom and potency, substantial peril. In its freshness, adolescence is attractive. In its enthusiasms, it can be exhausting. For most people, it is pivotal: it is the time of life when we find out who we are becoming, what we are good at, what and whom we like. What happens in these years profoundly affects what follows.”
Theodore Sizer

At Millbrook, we are fortunate to have a variety of learning media that serve as a platform to teach academic and social skills, decision making, and respect. At a time when our society is at a moral crossroad, we cherish the many opportunities through which we can help students reflect on their own character development and the ethical implications of their actions. The College Counseling program, like the English or Foreign Language program, is one of these potential learning experiences.

College Counseling at Millbrook is process-oriented. Despite the fact that many people often fixate on the product, the substance of our program is in the journey of self-discovery on which each student embarks in the Vth form year. Bombarded by the media and daunting shelves of college books in every bookstore, students can often start this process overwhelmed, fearful of rejection, and anxious about living up to expectations.

With the ultimate goal being for students to emerge from their experience feeling confident and empowered, the college process starts with numerous activities designed to aid students in identifying their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals. So often students will try to match themselves to institutions, rather than finding institutions that match the criteria that they have identified.

The college acceptance list that secondary schools generate does not reflect the effectiveness of the match. As we prepare our students for life-long learning, questioning, and service, it is vital that their college years are successful and positive. This can be achieved by thorough self-exploration and careful, open-minded research.

To achieve the goals of the College Counseling program, we begin discussions about character and priorities in the IVth form year. During the Vth form year, students meet weekly in small groups for a class period and they meet individually with either the Director or Associate Director of College Counseling. This preliminary work is critical in laying the foundation from which we build as we talk more specifically about college.

There are certainly deadlines that must be respected, essays, and recommendations to be written, and forms to fill out; however, what characterizes the College Counseling Office is the contact with students and the joy of helping a young adult find independence, initiative, and confidence.