College Advising

The primary goals of the College Advising Department are to inform, empower, and support students as they discover colleges, universities, and gap year programs that provide an excellent fit on myriad levels including academics, finances, and campus culture.

We view each student as an individual, possessing their own talents, interests, and aspirations, and it is our mission to provide insight and opportunities to explore colleges that will value and maximize those unique characteristics.

The College Advising team works collaboratively, so while individual counselor assignments occur at the end of sophomore year, our entire team supports every student from day one. Whether she's a freshman with course questions, or a senior making final decisions, we welcome students to engage as early as they feel comfortable. Because authentic fit and intentionality drive our philosophy at SJA, we ensure every student has the information she needs through class meetings, smaller need-specific groups, as well as one-on-one meetings. With each academic year, customization of the college search increases with access to personality and career assessments, individual and family consultations, university representative visits, college tours, and in-depth guidance for the application process including Junior Seminar. Students have access to a variety of resources, including Canvas, MAIALearning, College Kickstart, and more. Additionally, every family completes a required meeting junior year to discuss an initial application list and plan, as well as to review standardized testing plans and address any major-specific questions. As each student's process continues, we ensure families are kept in the loop through emails, phone calls, newsletters, and meetings. 

SJA college advisors are attuned to the needs of our students and families and will advocate for each student, as well as facilitate the processes of research, essay writing and organization, financial aid, resume and interview preparation, and every step in between. The Academy is incredibly proud of our students’ annual 99-100% college matriculation rate, as well as the phenomenal scholarship accomplishments of our students and their willingness to strategically explore their options. We are confident in their ability to fulfill their promise to live out the mission of SJA and positively impact our collective world.