Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the College Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Canaan counselors outline multi-year college-planning roadmap for juniors and parents
Summary
Counselors with the New Canaan School District described tools, timelines and supports for juniors and their families — including Naviance use, PSAT and junior appointments — and urged parents to encourage student independence during the college-application process.
Counselors from the New Canaan School District presented a multi-year roadmap for college and post–high-school planning at a community information session, describing classroom activities, online tools and staged meetings aimed at helping students prepare for life after high school. "We are here today to talk about where we are, where we've been with your children," said Cindy, a school counselor, opening the session and introducing colleagues who would present program components.
The counselors said they begin college and career planning in freshman year with academic roadmaps and move through sophomore career exploration activities and a "no-name college search" designed to focus students on fit rather than prestige. "As part of our comprehensive model, school counselors have been building relationships with your children through individual meetings and classroom-based programming," Sarah Drexel said, describing tools such as the Naviance platform and an AchieveWorks learning assessment used to identify students' study preferences and strengths.
The session spelled out junior-year milestones: the PSAT (scheduled by the counselors for Friday, Oct. 10), a winter junior-parent night, small-group meetings in December and one-on-one junior appointments in second semester to build individualized application plans. Lori Keane said the spring schedule includes a workshop on the Common Application and time to draft essays and assemble materials.
Counselors recommended a practical approach to parent involvement: sit alongside your child to view their Naviance account (no separate parent login), help with logistics such as travel arrangements, and encourage students to take ownership of applications. "Let them take the driver's seat," Cindy said, adding that parents can support by creating shared to‑do lists and helping with arrangements while allowing students to complete the work.
During question-and-answer, staff reiterated guidance on teacher recommendations (two academic teachers from junior year when possible; arts applicants may include an arts teacher) and advised families to focus on balanced application lists rather than sheer quantity. Counselors also pointed parents to deeper resources hosted on the counseling website, including partnership sessions with outside experts on test preparation.
The meeting was recorded for those who could not attend and concluded with brief applause.
