The College Counseling team kicked off the month by hosting special workshops this week, which included…

• What's In a (College) Interview? The seniors attended a lunchtime workshop led by Pitzer College Admission Counselor Marcus Aurelius Gomez. In this interactive workshop, students built what they previously learned from College Counseling with insights such as what to expect in an interview, how to thoughtfully answer questions, and how it can create additional value separate from other parts of the college application. Kudos to Micaela R. '26, who volunteered to spontaneously participate in a mock interview exercise in front of her peers and receive feedback from them.
   
• Understanding the State of Higher Education! Ashley Pallie, dean of admissions at Caltech, presented to sophomore, junior, and senior families on the current dynamics in higher education, including demographic shifts (fewer students), changes in testing requirements, new taxes on university endowments, and science under attack at research universities. Audience questions ranged from how these factors are impacting undergraduate programs, diversity, and financial aid, specific impacts on female applicants and women's colleges, and how artificial intelligence is used in college admission offices.

Students (and parents!) can look forward to many more opportunities in upcoming weeks to learn about the college process. In fact, coming up next: an Upper School International College Fair!