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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Mountain Brook schools offer many resources to students to prepare them for college, including a STEM program called Project Lead the Way, ACT/SAT preparation, visits from college representatives, college admission workshops, career conferences, career exposure programs and partnerships with Alabama Academy of Craft and All In Mountain Brook.
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Staff photos.
Auburn Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions Allison Saggus speaks with students at a college admissions workshop in 2019.
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Staff photos.
Students read through an application of a fake student to a theoretical college to determine whether the student will be admitted, wait-listed or denied acceptance to the school during a college admissions workshop, as a way to learn more about what admissions committees look for in applications.
As the class of 2025 prepares for the first day of school, many are already thinking about the big decisions they’ll be making before graduation.
From college or trade school to joining the workforce or military, seniors have a variety of paths to choose from. Counselors and college advisors at Mountain Brook High School are prepared to help students, and their families, talk through their options.
“A lot of our students are looking at four-year schools. We’ve got some looking at two-year schools,” said Karen Svetlay, the Mountain Brook High college advisor for students with last names A through K. “We have a handful that are looking at trade schools, there’s a military sometimes. Wherever they are, we try to meet them and figure out the next step.”
Mountain Brook schools offer many services to help prepare students for their futures. Their curriculum also requires career prep courses and offers multiple technical classes that provide students with career skills, but the main focus is on college preparation.
“We know that it can create a lot of panic and a little bit of those anxious feelings. So, I think that’s why we do work so individually,” said Whitney Volts, the college advisor for students with last names L through Z. “Across the board, we do encourage students to get to know themselves and think about what their likes and dislikes are.”
Other resources include a STEM program called Project Lead the Way, ACT/SAT preparation, visits from college representatives, college admission workshops, career conferences, career exposure programs and partnerships with Alabama Academy of Craft and All In Mountain Brook.
Recommendation letters from teachers are also offered, and instructions are provided on the school’s college advising webpage.
“One of the things I really always recommend students do … is get to know potential recommenders on both an educational background and then professional background too,” said Andrew Colson, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Truly having that person be able to talk about the student as a person, ... that’s typically the type of references that really shine.”
The Mountain Brook High School college advising webpage also breaks down a college planning schedule by grade level, starting at sophomore year.
Sophomores are encouraged to attend the Birmingham National College fair in September, take challenging college prep courses, take the practice SAT and Pre-ACT and begin thinking about and visiting schools they may be interested in, among other things.
“College visits are incredibly important. It’s one of the biggest deciding factors for any student,” Colson said. “Until you do a tour, you don’t actually really see the real life campus. … That’s kind of what the whole point of a college tour is, to really help the student see if this place is going to be the right fit for them not only academically, but just socially.”
Juniors and seniors are encouraged to focus more on final test scores, collecting documents needed for applications, asking references for recommendations and keeping track of and prioritizing deadlines.
Colson also recommends students gain leadership experience to help make their application stand out. This can be anything from sports or leadership in a school organization to work experience in a managerial role or community service.
His final piece of advice to students: get organized and stay on top of deadlines. Several colleges in the state open their applications on Aug. 15, so he advises seniors to apply early.
Colson has a message for parents watching their kids step into adulthood this year, too.
“This is the time when our students will really start to need to be a little bit more independent,” he said. “This is a really good time for students to get prepped for taking care of affairs, keeping up with deadlines themselves, of course with help from the parents. But, we want to talk to the students just because we want to make sure they are making the right choice for themselves.”
High school senior to-do list
- Get organized: Stay on top of application deadlines and make sure you have all necessary documents.
- Talk to your school counselors: They offer resources to help apply to schools and are there to talk you through your options.
- Make campus visits: Seeing a college in person can be a deciding factor in choosing your future school.
- Get to know potential references: Having a list of people that can provide good, meaningful recommendations is helpful when applying to colleges or jobs.
