 | At Kent Denver, college preparation begins the moment a student walks through our doors. We challenge our students and help them to grow intellectually, and we provide them with an array of activities, from the arts and athletics to clubs and service organizations, that encourage them to develop their interests and talents and pursue their passions. In order to be ready for the college selection process that begins in junior year, students in the sixth through tenth grades should seek challenges, work hard at their studies, pursue their interests, and enjoy themselves!
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Over the course of first semester, Upper School students are introduced to an online college counseling tool called Naviance Family Connection. Freshmen use a Learning Style Inventory to discover how to create a space, time, and schedule that optimizes their learning; sophomores make use of ACT and SAT tutorials and practice tests; juniors have access to a feature that enables them to view information about previous Kent Denver students’ application histories for various colleges; seniors use the program to build college lists and keep track of their college applications, and all grades have access to a search engine that enables them to search for colleges that match their individual criteria as well as ACT/SAT test prep materials. The College Counseling Office sends out online newsletters to freshmen (one each semester), sophomores (quarterly), juniors (monthly), and seniors (bi-monthly). Parents whose e-mail addresses are registered with the school also receive their children’s newsletters, and all newsletters are available via links on this web page.
The formal college counseling process begins in January of the junior year when students indicate their preferences for their college counselors who will serve as their senior year academic advisors, as well. In February, students are assigned their college counselors; students and parents later meet with the individual college counselors during the spring to discuss each student’s goals and aspirations and to begin an ongoing dialogue. A list of colleges suitable for preliminary investigation will be suggested at this initial meeting; this list is compiled by all college counselors working as a committee. On Junior College Night, a college admissions officer speaks to juniors and their parents about the college selection and application process, and the college counselors meet with students and their parents in small groups to give further information and answer questions. The college counselors are happy to assist students at all stages of the selection process to identify colleges that would be good matches for their interests, abilities, and preferences. With a small number of advisees, college counselors can give individual support to their advisees during second semester junior year and throughout the senior year.
Kent Denver’s college counseling program is unique in that our counselor-student ratio is 10:1. According to the National Association for College Counseling's 2011 NACAC Report on the State of College Admissions, the average student-to-guidance-counselor ratio in the U.S. is 460:1. College counselors at Kent Denver work as a committee, meeting at least twice each week to discuss their work. They review each student’s list of college choices and make suggestions that grow from their accumulated experience with the colleges and from their acquaintance with the student. Counselors frequently visit colleges throughout the country in order to best advise our students. Because the counselors are also teachers and coaches, they have the opportunity to get to know the students in a variety of settings. Colleges recognize the Kent Denver College Counseling program as truly personal as well as professional. Kent Denver graduates of the Class of 2012 matriculated in 64 different colleges and universities in 25 states and the District of Columbia. We’re proud of our program and, especially, of our terrific students!
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2012-13 College Counseling Newsletters College Counseling Recommended Links a government site that contains Funding Your Education, The Student Guide and links to other resources.
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the federal government's website for information about the free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), also known as "FAFSA on the Web." Students who apply online will get their application results 7-14 days faster than if they mail a paper FAFSA. Students can print a paper copy of the FAFSA to use as a worksheet.
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| where students and parents can request a Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN may be used as an electronic signature for FAFSA on the Web and to access the National Student Loan Data System. |
| | COLLEGE ADMISSION OFFICERS To access a special page with more information for college admission officers, please click below.
Important Program Dates 2012-13 College Counseling Resources Please click here to view an online version of Kent Denver's College Counseling Handbook.
To learn more about using Naviance, the school's college counseling software, please click here. These tutorials are primarily designed for parents of juniors, but all are welcome to view them!
Click here to view Peter Van Buskirk's Admission Game blog. |
 Jane HornDirector of College Counseling, NACAC Member Having earned a B.A. from William Smith College, Mrs. Horn serves as Director of College Counseling. Previously the Director of College Counseling at Orme School in Arizona for five years, Mrs. Horn has been a member of the College Counseling team at Kent Denver since coming to the school in 1997.
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 Mindy AdairChair Math Dept., Math, College Counselor Having earned a B.A. and a Diploma in Education from the University of Colorado and an M.A. from the University of Phoenix, Ms. Adair currently serves as Chair of the Math Department. She holds a Professional Teacher License and a Professional Principal License for the state of Colorado. In her nineteenth year of service at Kent Denver, Ms. Adair has been a member of the College Counseling team since 2000.
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 Kristin BrownMath, AP Coordinator, College Counselor Mrs. Brown has a BA and MA in mathematics from the University of Colorado. She worked in a few local public schools before joining the Kent Denver faculty in 2005. After a short hiatus from college counseling, Mrs. Brown is rejoining the team in 2012. In addition to college counseling, she is a math teacher and the AP coordinator. |
 Matthew BentleySpanish, College Counselor Dr. Bentley has a BA in Spanish from Brigham Young University and a PhD in Spanish Literature from the University of Virginia. He was a professor at Wabash College for two years and has been teaching Spanish at Kent Denver since 2007. He joined the College Counseling team in 2011. |
 Ruth BurnhamHistory, Music, College Counselor Mrs. Burnham earned her B.A. from Montana State University, two M.A.s from the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin, and an M.M. from the University of Denver. She has served at Kent Denver for 19 years, 10 as a member of the College Counseling team. In addition to college counseling, Mrs. Burnham teaches music history.
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 Eric ChandlerHead of Upper School, College Counselor After Mr. Chandler earned his B.A. in English and history at Syracuse University, he completed his doctorate in English at the University of California at Berkeley. He was a visiting assistant professor of English at The University of Memphis for two years, and then he joined the faculty at Menlo School in Atherton, CA, where he worked as a college counselor and the coordinator of Menlo's senior projects program. He joined Kent Denver in July 2007 as the upper school division head.
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 Eric DawsonChair Foreign Language Dept., Spanish, College Counselor The chair of Kent Denver's Foreign Language Department, Mr. Dawson earned his B.A. from Guilford College and an M.A. from Miami University. Mr. Dawson is in his seventh year as a member of the College Counseling team. Previously, Mr. Dawson was a faculty member at The Bolles School.
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 Virginia HalversonMs. Halverson earned her B.A. from Brown University and her M.A. in American history from Stanford University. She has worked at various independent schools since 1991. Currently, Ms. Halverson teaches history as well as college counseling. |
 Mary Fran ParkScience, College Counselor Mrs. Park has a BS in biology research and chemistry from Loras College and an MS in marine science and oceanography from the University of San Diego. In college, she was an NCAA All-American runner. After working as an oceanographer in Antarctica, she was a science teacher and track/cross country coach at The Bishop's School in La Jolla, CA. Mrs. Park has been teaching in the science department at Kent Denver since 2007, and she joined the College Counseling team in 2012. |
 Becky ParnellLibrary Director, College Counselor, Tennis, Model UN Sponsor Having earned a B.A from the University of Texas and a M.A from the University of Colorado, Mrs. Parnell currently serves as Kent Denver's Library Director, Model UN sponsor and girls' tennis coach. Mrs. Parnell is in her third year at Kent Denver and her second year as a college counselor.
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 Katie ThomasSpanish, College Counselor, Peer Tutor Coordinator, French Club Ms. Thomas earned a B.A. in Modern Languages and a B.A. in Political Science from Knox College. She served as an Associate Director of Admission for Knox College for four years and worked as an Admission Counselor at CU Boulder for a year prior to the start of her teaching career. Ms. Thomas is in her sixth year as a language teacher at Kent Denver.
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Standardized Testing Information | |