Earlier this fall, Mrs. Greb attended the National Association of College Admissions Counseling in Salt Lake City. In addition to connecting with other counselors in various parts of the country, Mrs. Greb attended a number of conference sessions on best practices in college counseling, CommonApp, FAFSA, and what elite universities in both the United States and the United Kingdom are looking for in candidates for admissions and the differences in their application processes.

 

Interestingly, top tier universities in the US and UK have a very different student profile in mind when reviewing their applicants. Both are highly competitive, but US schools are typically looking for a student with diversified experience, both in and outside of school. The UK universities are more interested in students with a focus in one particular area in which the student demonstrates both high aptitude and true passion for pursuing that particular field. Students in the UK are able to earn an undergraduate degree in three years, but students are required to declare a major prior to entering the university and are rarely allowed to switch fields, whereas American universities usually allow students to change academic programs midway through the college career.

 

Mrs. Greb also spent some time with the representatives for the Classical Learning Test (CLT), which JH Classical upper school students will be taking in the spring. The Classical Learning Test is a college entrance exam designed for students who have received a classical education. The CLT is accepted by more than 125 colleges and universities in the US in lieu of an ACT or SAT score. Among these schools are Biola University, Baylor University Honors College, Hillsdale College, and Houston Baptist University. Mrs. Greb is looking forward to meeting with the upper school JHCA parents and students early in 2019 as they begin to prepare for the college admissions journey!