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College Counseling


College pennants in hallway with students
 
 
Preparing Students for College and Beyond

One hundred percent of Sandia Prep graduates are accepted to four-year colleges and universities.

Our counselors work diligently one-on-one, beginning in 9th grade, to help students and their families understand the complex process of planning for and applying to college.

 

The college admissions process is offered at each grade level, 9th through 12th grades. Freshmen learn to understand the importance of their early academic work and selecting the appropriate courses. Sophomores explore their aptitudes and abilities as they relate to career options and future college choices. Counselors hold ongoing individual meetings with juniors and seniors to help them select and apply to the schools that will best fit their needs.

 

Additionally, the college counseling office provides assistance with financial aid applications and information on scholarships. More than $4 million in merit scholarships are awarded annually to graduating classes of approximately 70 students.

 

 

 
From portfolio-building to PSATs and from college visits to college acceptances, Sandia Prep students are equipped with comprehensive college counseling information and skills beginning in ninth grade.
 
Grade 9
  • Fall - 9th Grade College Night: General introduction to the importance of courses and a strong record; discussion of transcripts and building a personal portfolio
  • Spring - Learning styles assessment to better understand how students learn best
 
 
Grade 10
  • Fall - 10th Grade College Night: Planning for college and the application process
    Spring - PSAT 10 and Pre-ACT administration; personality assessment and career planning activities
 
 
Grade 11
  • September - 11th Grade College Night: Specific information on the college admissions process
  • October - PSAT administration; New Mexico College Fair; Tri-School Symposium; financial aid presentation
  • November - Juniors assigned to a college counselor
  • December through May - Individual college counseling meetings with students and families; researching scholarship opportunities; admissions testing planning
  • January through April - Optional ACT Prep course to prepare juniors for April ACT; college workshops
  • April - ACT administration; Case Studies – how college admission decisions are made; mini college fair
  • May - AP exams available
 
 
Grade 12
  • August - Senior College Night: Specifics on the college application and financial aid schedule; optional ACT Prep course to prepare seniors for October ACT (also available to interested juniors); teacher recommendation requests begin
  • September - Individual meetings to refine a college list; college essay writing workshops
  • October - Finalizing college list; ACT administration; New Mexico College Fair; financial aid presentation
  • November - Most Early Decision/Early Action applications due
  • December through February - Regular Decision applications due
  • December through March - Admissions decisions made
  • May 1 - Deadline for college matriculation decision for most colleges
 
Each year more than 60 colleges and universities send recruiters to Sandia Prep to visit with students.
Below is a sample of schools currently scheduled to visit Sandia Prep during the 2019-2020 school year.

 

  • American University

  • Arizona State University

  • Babson College

  • Baylor University

  • Boston College

  • Bowdoin College

  • Brandeis University

  • Bucknell University

  • California College of the Arts (San Francisco)

  • Chapman University

  • Claremont McKenna College

  • Coe College

  • Colby College

  • Dartmouth College
  • Duke University
  • Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne
  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Emory University
  • Hamilton College-NY
  • Harvey Mudd College
  • Hofstra University
  • Kalamazoo College
  • Knox College
  • Lawrence University
  • Lewis and Clark College
  • Linfield College
  • Maryland Institute College of Art
  • Middlebury College
  • New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
  • New Mexico State University
  • Northeastern University
  • Occidental College
  • Pacific Northwest College of Art
  • Prescott College
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Salve Regina University
  • Sarah Lawrence College
  • Scripps College
  • Seattle University
  • Southwestern University
  • St. Edward’s University
  • St. John’s College
  • Texas Christian University
  • The University of Arizona
  • Trinity College
  • Trinity University
  • Union College (New York)
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Colorado at Boulder
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of Portland
  • University of Richmond
  • University of Rochester
  • University of San Diego
  • University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Watkins College of Art
  • Whitman College
  • Willamette University
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • Yale University
 
We have more than 2,100 alumni working around the globe. Whether they are navigating college, earning their degrees, or launching into their careers, we love hearing our alumni success stories and welcoming them back onto our campus. Hear how Sandia Prep prepared our alumni for success in college and beyond.

 

Melissa Morse
Director of College Counseling
mmorse@sandiaprep.org
505.338.3034

Danielle Yepa Gunderson
Associate Director of College Counseling
dgunderson@sandiaprep.org
505.338.3055

Maris Daugherty
College Counseling Coordinator
mdaugherty@sandiaprep.org
505.388.3056