College Office

Explore Our College Office

One-on-one guidance tailored to fit your specific needs, abilities, and interests.

About College Counseling at Middlesex

Navigating the college admissions process can seem complex for students and families. To facilitate a smooth passage, we pair each student with a highly experienced college counselor, a personal guide who will work closely with the student and family. Through this partnership we are able to tailor the college process to the specific needs, abilities, and interests of each student.

The first stage of our work with students is marked by research and self-discovery as we identify the types of colleges they would like to explore. Such collaboration involves detailed discussions about students’ passions and priorities while they work through the labyrinth of college choices to determine the schools that would best help achieve short and long term goals. Once students identify preferred schools, we map out the appropriate steps for negotiating a successful journey through the college process.

With nearly seventy years of combined experience, our counselors come from the world of college admissions and independent schools, leading our students through deadlines, interviews, standardized testing, athletic recruiting, portfolio assembly, and all other potential application requirements.

There are many steps to the college process, and our dedicated and experienced counselors know how to guide the way towards a rewarding destination.

Every fall, the College Office hosts nearly 100 admissions officers from college and universities from around world. Seniors are invited to meet with the admissions officers who will most likely read their applications and represent them to the admissions committees. It is a wonderful opportunity for seniors to get their final questions answered, as well as build relationships with the admissions officers.

College Office Statement of Philospophy

Standardized Testing

Planning Timeline

Guide to the Recruiting Process

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Facts and Figures

5-Year Matriculation

Class of 2024 Matriculation

School Profile

Testing Scores Overview

Planning Timeline

Junior Year Senior Year

September

In early September, the college counselors meet with the junior class to introduce the formal college process, share the counselor assignments, demonstrate Scoir (the platform we use for the college process), explain the standardized testing cycle, and inform the juniors about the SAT and ACT test prep classes on campus.

Juniors take a practice SAT or ACT on a Saturday in mid-September.

Any juniors involved with the Division 1 athletic recruiting process meets with their college counselor and Middlesex coach to discuss options and offers.

Potential Division 1 athletes should create an account on the NCAA portal.

October

College counselors offer a College Seminar at Family Weekend to introduce parents and guardians to the college counselors, discuss the basics of the college process, breakdown the testing cycle, explain the office’s philosophy, and walk through the schedule for the next eighteen months.

Opportunity for another practice SAT or ACT.

Finalize testing plans and confirm registration for the ACT or SAT dates.

SAT Prep Class starts in the last week of October.

Interested juniors take the PSAT at Middlesex.

November

December

Juniors take the SAT on the first Saturday of December at Middlesex.

Juniors with questions about spring classes, particularly in math and science, are encouraged to discuss options with their advisor and college counselor.

Autobiography Questionnaire: Before winter break students are emailed a link to begin working on the autobiography form in Naviance. It consists of a large number of questions that are primarily designed to help us get to know you better and secondarily designed to help you reflect on topics and issues that might blossom into college essays or interview discussion topics. The more thought and volume of writing you put into this form, the more we will be able to help you and the better we will be able to portray you to the colleges. The students will complete and submit this form online. We ask students to read over all the questions, allow the questions to percolate, and set aside a good chunk of time over winter break to complete it. When the students completely answer all the questions on the autobiography they click submit. Students need to complete this form before returning to campus from winter break.

January

First Individual Meeting: You will meet with your college counselor individually for the first time upon your return from winter break. We will not even mention the word college in this meeting; we will simply use the autobiography as a springboard for getting to know you. Students need not prepare for this meeting at all. In many ways, this is your first practice interview, and the setting provides an excellent opportunity for you to begin developing interviewing skills.

“Initial Thoughts on College” Survey: After you attend the first meeting, we will email the juniors a form asking for some of their initial thoughts on the college process. If the answers to most of these questions are “I do not know,” that is perfectly fine. This just helps us frame our next discussion about discussing a list of colleges to begin researching and potentially visiting in the spring.

The ACT test prep class begins in preparation for the February ACT, and the SAT prep resumes in preparation for the March SAT.

Opportunity for another practice SAT or ACT.

For juniors in the Division I recruiting process, once fall semester grades are finalized, send college coaches an updated transcript with junior fall grades along with updates about your fall season or upcoming winter or spring season.

February

Junior Class Meeting to discuss the upcoming Junior Family Day on the Saturday of Presidents’ Day Weekend. We also distribute the Guide to the College Process and give an overview of the work they will need to complete over spring break.

Second Individual Meeting: This will be a “nuts and bolts” meeting where more details of the process will be outlined and discussed. We will talk about and develop concepts about the characteristics and criteria that the juniors want in a college. Some juniors will have very specific criteria and some will be more open to new ideas. Some will come with ideas from others and some will have very little prior understanding or even some misunderstanding of the range of colleges. We strongly encourage students, who can make the time, to visit colleges over spring break, and we will map out a list of colleges to potentially visit in this meeting. These visits will give juniors impressions of what they want to look for in a college, and can help them bring focus to their college research and develop more targeted summer college visits. Visiting a range of schools (urban, private, rural, public, small or large) is key and their ability to begin to draw comparisons and make concrete observations.

Juniors take the ACT on the second Saturday of February. Middlesex is not a test center so we transport boarding students to a nearby high school.

Opportunity for another practice SAT or ACT

Junior Family Day: On the Saturday morning of Presidents’ Day Weekend, parents and guardians are invited and all juniors are required to attend the College Office’s presentation on the college process. We also invite a dean of admissions as our featured speaker to give their take on the admissions landscape. This is a comprehensive session that gets everyone on the same page in terms of language, understanding, and expectations regarding the next 18 months.

March

Juniors are encouraged to research online and visit colleges over spring break, if possible. Whether they can see a few colleges or spend the entire two weeks visiting colleges, it is an excellent time to explore a range of colleges.

Juniors are encouraged to complete the College Visits Worksheet found in the College Office Handbook. This worksheet (found in Tips on Visiting and Interviewing chapter) asks about the impressions and feedback the student has on each college. This information allows the college counselor to help the junior prepare a more targeted (though still quite rough) list for them to consider over the spring and summer.

Juniors take the SAT on the second Saturday of March.

Opportunity for another practice SAT or ACT

After March Break, the ACT prep course resumes as juniors prepare for the April ACT.

April

Third Individual Meeting: At this meeting, we will confirm the list of schools that the juniors have carefully researched and visited over spring break and have determined worthy of a summer visit. We will continue to build the college list and begin to shape a plan for summer visits. The visits should be evenly spread across admissions difficulty. At this meeting, we will also discuss senior course selection, fall testing strategies, summer plans, and teachers to approach for recommendations.

Juniors will take the April ACT on the first Saturday of April at a nearby high school.

Interested juniors will attend the Boston Independent Schools College Counseling Association’s annual college fair hosted at Babson College on the last Sunday of April.

May

Optional Fourth Individual Meeting: In this individual meeting, the goal is to confirm two teachers to ask to write college recommendations, shape a list of colleges to visit and research over the summer, map out any future testing, firm up plans for the summer, discuss essay topics, review the student’s Common Application, and finalize thoughts on senior courses. Juniors will leave the meeting with a plan for the summer.

Junior Class Meeting: The college counselors will review summer tasks, explain demonstrated interest impacts the college process, offer more tips on researching colleges, share thoughts on making the most of campus visits, and prepare the juniors for possible interviews on college campuses during the summer.

Interested juniors will take the SAT on the first Saturday of May at Middlesex.

Before juniors leave for the summer, they are expected to confirm their two teacher recommenders with the College Office.

Summer Before Senior Year

Interested juniors will take the SAT on the first Saturday of June or the ACT on the second Saturday of June and/or the second Saturday of July.
Reread the Middlesex College Guide to the College Process
Visit, tour and interview at college that are a mix of reaches, possibles and likelies.
Use the College Visits Worksheet found in the College Office Handbook to record carefully thoughts on each college and give a clear sense of the choices when deciding to apply to a college or to take a college off the list.
Register by the end of June for SAT for the August, October, or November test dates, or ACT for the September, October, or December test dates.
Complete the Common Application form after it goes live on August 1st.
Draft a complete response to one of the seven 650-word Common Application essay topics.
Identify and begin to draft the supplemental essays for any potential early application colleges.
Fill out Net Price Calculators or MyIntution Calculators on the financial aid pages of the colleges that you are considering, if you are going to apply for financial aid.
Research all the merit aid programs at each of the schools under consideration, and prepare to the extent possible applications for those scholarships. Also, review the list of scholarships that is posted in the My Drive section of Scoir.
For students pursuing college athletics, complete the following tasks once the spring semester is done: send each college coach an update on your summer plans, a copy of transcripts with grades, a copy of your anticipated senior schedule, and most recent test scores; arrange for potential campus visits; and discuss any financial aid issues with your parents and the colleges. Most Division 3 coaches can begin to call student-athletes with offers on July 1st. Division 1 coaches at highly selective coaches will be able to get feedback on candidates after their admissions offices have reviewed the updated transcript and test scores.

August

On August 1st, the Common Application rolls over to the new admissions cycle, and the week before we inform seniors about the steps they need to take to update their Common Application accounts, as well as share detailed information about filling out the Common Application so they can begin filling it out.

Seniors are encouraged to begin drafting their personal statements and start drafting the supplemental essays for any potential early applications.

Seniors can take the SAT on the last Saturday of August before they return to campus.

September

During senior orientation, the College Office holds a College Seminar to review important steps regarding completing the Common Application and linking their Common Applications to their Scoir accounts. Counselors will also discuss a list of detailed tasks, deadlines, and expectations for the upcoming early admissions cycle, as they prepare the seniors for the early process.

Interested seniors will take the ACT on the first Saturday of September at a nearby high school.

Seniors fill out the Update on Summer College Work Survey so they can schedule the meetings with their counselors.

Individual Meeting: During the first three weeks of the month, seniors will meet with their college counselors to review their summer activities, examine senior course selections, discuss questions about testing’s role in the application process, analyze and update the college list, ponder early application strategies, and determine if there are any additional tasks related to art/music/theatre portfolios. Counselors will also confirm with the seniors their teacher recommenders and catch up on the status of their essays and Common Applications.

In mid-September, seniors will have a free morning for essay and application work with their college counselors in the dining hall.

During the second week of September, college admissions officers from nearly 100 colleges will visit Middlesex and meet with interested seniors to discuss their institutions and the application process. A week before, seniors will be informed about the visits and will sign up in the College Office for the meetings.

By the third week of September, seniors are expected to share with their counselors drafts of their essay and application drafts for review, feedback, and edits.

October

Seniors continue to meet with their college counselors to discuss their early applications, review their Common Applications, and edit their personal statements and supplemental essays.

Interested seniors take the SAT on the first Saturday of October at Middlesex.

Interested seniors take the ACT on the third Saturday of October at a nearby high school.

October 15th: Seniors applying Early Action to flagship state universities in the south and the University of St Andrews (Scotland) need to submit their applications.

College admissions officers continue to visit Middlesex throughout the month.

Families applying for financial aid are encouraged to check the application deadlines and organize their financial documents. They are also encouraged to create their CSS Profile and Federal Student Aid accounts well before the application deadlines. The college counselors help students and parents fill out the FAFSA and CSS Profile if they need assistance.

Students interested in preparing for alumni interviews are able to set up a practice interview with a retired director of admissions who works closely with the College Office.

November

Interested seniors take the SAT at Middlesex on the first Saturday of November.

Seniors are encouraged to submit their November 1st and/or November 15th early applications no later than a week before the deadline. College counselors will review the entire Common Application and all of the essays with the seniors before they submit the applications.

Once seniors submit their applications, they fill out a Google Application Form giving the College Office permission to send their transcripts, recommendations, and school profile to the colleges.

First marking period grades are sent to the colleges that require them for the early application process, and grades will be sent to colleges that will accept them if the grades are helpful.

As alumni interview requests are received after applications are submitted, seniors are still able to set up practice interviews before the real interviews happen in person or on Zoom.

After the early applications are submitted, the seniors work with their college counselors to review, edit, and update their college lists before they leave for Thanksgiving Break.

Seniors are encouraged to work on their applications and essays for Regular Decision and Early Decision 2 over Thanksgiving Break.

December

Interested seniors take the SAT on the first Saturday of December at Middlesex.

Early Application Decisions: seniors report their early application decisions as they are released during the first two weeks of December. Seniors are encouraged to meet with their college counselors to discuss next steps, follow up to defers, and any adjustments to their college lists depending on their news. Seniors admitted under Early Decision are required to withdraw the rest of their active applications (unless the financial aid package is not feasible for the family).

A final college list is emailed to the seniors’ parents and guardians for families to review and discuss.

College counselors review essays and applications for the Regular Decision and/or Early Decision 2 cycle before the seniors head off for Winter Break.

If seniors are continuing with the college process into the Early Decision 2 and/or Regular Decision cycle, they are asked to fill out their Google Application Form before they leave for Winter Break to give the College Office permission to send their materials to the colleges.

January

Regular Decision and Early Decision 2 Applications: Seniors are asked to submit their applications well in advance of the application deadlines. They are asked to update Google Application Form once they have submitted their applications so their materials can be sent to their colleges.

Second Semester Course Changes: If seniors need to make changes to their spring schedule, they need to discuss any changes with their college counselor and advisor prior to making any changes.

Mid-Year Reports and Fall Semester Transcripts: After the fall semester is complete, the College Office will send the mid-year report and updated transcripts to all of the colleges at the end of the month. Seniors are encouraged to update their college counselors on any activities and successes during the fall semester so we can add it to the Mid-Year Report.

February

In early February, seniors are asked to rank their colleges and give their college counselors their college wish list. The college counselors also track what programs and/or majors that the seniors applied to along with their contact points with the colleges.

Seniors are encouraged to update their colleges via their admissions portals with any academic or extracurricular accomplishments during the fall semester.

During the second week of February, colleges typically release Early Decision 2 admissions news. If seniors are admitted through Early Decision 2, they are required to withdraw all of their active applications (unless the financial aid package is not feasible for the family)

March

April

After seniors receive their college decisions, they are encouraged to meet with their college counselor to discuss their choices, review financial aid packages, investigate potential revisit options, and develop a criteria to help the seniors make their final selection.

Seniors who are pursuing the waitlist are encouraged to meet with their college counselor to discuss how to approach the waitlist and develop a communication plan with the colleges. Seniors are also encouraged to investigate fully the options they have so they can make a matriculation decision by May 1st.

Seniors who want to pursue a gap year are encouraged to work with their college counselor to develop a plan for the year off and then apply for a gap year at the college they want to deposit.

May

May 1st is the traditional National College Decision Day, and seniors are expected to have deposited by this day and decline any other acceptances.

Students pursuing the waitlist will continue to follow up with the college and their college counselor as we patiently wait for the waitlist season to commence.

During the first two weeks of May, seniors take their AP exams. In their AP exam registration, they can request the College Board to send their scores to their college of matriculation.

Final Transcripts are sent to the colleges the week after graduation.

Standardized Testing

A student’s standardized test score is one of many metrics in a multidimensional process that colleges may consider during the application process. Since the spring of 2020, the landscape of standardized testing has changed dramatically. Now, the majority of colleges and universities are test-optional and some, like the University of California system, are test-free, giving applicants the ability to present themselves in the best light in terms of their academic profiles. We work from a mindset that “testing can only help” if test scores will be a positive factor in an admissions application, and we work carefully with our students to develop a healthy, balanced, and strategic approach to standardized testing. Over the last three years, approximately 50% of our students have submitted standardized testing to all of their colleges, 25% were hybrid (meaning they sent scores to some colleges and not others), and 25% did not submit test scores to any college. To help students determine which test is the best fit for their testing style we offer a free diagnostic SAT and ACT testing program between their sophomore and junior years. Once students have determined which test is their preferred option, they are encouraged to take the SAT or ACT twice during their junior year, and we offer a comprehensive on-campus SAT or ACT prep course for interested students. We also offer monthly practice tests.

While only 5% of domestic colleges and universities require testing, we continue to carefully monitor the national trends in college admissions to inform our families on best practices. The Middlesex curriculum, including the Writing Workshop, Middlesex Words Book, and our rigorous math courses, prepares our students well for the standardized testing cycle.

We want our students to understand the testing requirements and, just as importantly, to keep testing in perspective. Students’ academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and personal qualities are more important than test scores as they pursue their education beyond secondary school.

Guide to the Athletic Recruiting Process

Since its founding, Middlesex School has valued athletics as a core element of our School’s identity and educational mission, and our graduates have taken their athletic experiences on our campus and parlayed them into successful collegiate careers. We have recent graduates who are competing at the highest levels of Division I athletics, as well as performing beautifully as Academic All-Americans at the Division III level. We have approximately 15 to 20 students in each graduating class heading off to compete on the college level. The College Office has guided student-athletes through the recruiting process in all 27 of the sports offered at the School, along with fencing and equestrian sports. We are committed to assisting our students with crafting an individualized and sports-specific college process that will help them pursue their athletic goals. We know that the athletic recruiting process can be a complicated, intense, and potentially exhilarating experience, and it requires honest self-reflection, constant communication, thorough research, precise organization, and a willingness to be patient. While there are no guarantees that any given student-athlete will be recruited, the process itself can help clarify goals, create unexpected opportunities, and prepare students for the next step, whether or not college athletics will play a deciding role in the process.

We approach the athletic recruiting process as a team that includes the student, parents, college counselor, advisor, and Middlesex coach. Our three college counselors were collegiate athletes and varsity coaches, and we bring to our work over sixty years of experience in college admissions from both sides of the desk. In addition, almost all of our coaches were college athletes, and some were college coaches before their time at Middlesex.

Depending on the sport, the recruiting process can begin in freshman year or not start until the end of the fall season in senior year; however, the College Office is excited to engage and help our student-athletes where they are in the process.