College Counseling

11 students from the class of 2022 wear college tees showing their chosen schools

At Kent Denver, we encourage our students to grow intellectually, and we provide them with an array of activities. These opportunities allow students to explore their interests and talents.

In order to be ready for the college selection process, Kent Denver students should seek challenges, work hard at their studies, pursue their interests and enjoy their high school experience.

Kent Denver's College Counseling program empowers students to find the appropriate next step for their continued education and lifelong learning through a process of reflection, research and exploration of options. Here, we work together with students and parents to guide students in the process of finding schools that will further develop their academic and personal growth.

The college counselor’s role is to listen, provide guidance and supply information on all aspects of the process, and, most of all, be a “sounding board” for the student in this important decision. The college search and application process are exciting and involve time and effort. Parents and college counselors play an important role in the process; however, it is the student who plays the primary role.

College Profile

Learn more about Kent Denver in our 2023–24 College Profile

Class of '23 Matriculations

Our 2023 graduates plan to attend 68 colleges and universities!

"I think for most Kent Denver students, it is liberating to know that the student is in control of their own college applications."
- Kent Denver Alumnus

The Kent Denver Approach

We offer comprehensive and time-appropriate programming for students and parents throughout their four years in the Upper School. Every student is on their own path, and our programming will ensure that they are engaging in the college search when they need to be. We often find that if families start the college search too soon then students burn out by the time they really need to engage.

We offer frequent, small-group classes for juniors beginning in January that cover all aspects of the college search.
In the fall of the senior year, most work is done one-on-one with the student’s assigned college counselor and through application submission in the fall semester of their senior year.
We offer a series of topic-specific meetings and programs throughout the year to supplement our College Counseling class.
We offer touch points and introductory programming periodically in the 10th grade.
Our counselors regularly meet with students one-on-one, learning about their interests and talents and forming personal relationships.
College counselors guide students through all aspects of the college search and application process, from researching colleges to developing appropriate college lists and from completing applications to writing essays, and applying for financial aid.
Students are expected to be active participants in the College Counseling program.
We keep parents informed and involved in the college counseling process through written communication, parent information sessions and individual meetings.

Meet Our College Counselors

Kent Denver's four, full-time professional college counselors are exceptional educators with extensive experience advising and working with high school students. They are invested in helping students navigate the college admissions process with confidence.

Jessica Raab, Director of College Counseling

Jessica Raab came to Kent Denver in 2016 from the college counseling department at Phoenix Country Day School. A member of ACCIS, NACAC and RMACAC, she brings extensive experience in both secondary school college counseling and college-level admission, the latter from her long tenure as an Associate Director of Admission at Colorado College.

Ms. Raab writes of the college search process: “I encourage a mindful approach, meaning students undertake their search with curiosity and are open to possibilities as they think about types, sizes, programs, locations and schools, that they accept this as a journey, which means it will unfold in ways that are expected, but occasionally in ways that are unexpected.”

She can be contacted at (303) 770-7660 x217 or via email.

Tanya Aydelott, Associate Director

A graduate of Swarthmore College, Ms. Aydelott represented her alma mater as an admission counselor and alumni relations officer. She also served as Assistant Director of Admissions at Oberlin College, Associate Director of International Recruitment at Williams College and Upper School Dean at Kinkaid School in Houston. She joined Kent Denver's College Counseling team in 2021.

As a college counselor, Ms. Aydelott brings a student-centered approach to her work. “The greatest pleasures of my professional life have been watching my students gain confidence and direction, readying themselves to pursue new adventures in college and beyond,” she shared.

She can be contacted at (303) 770-7660 x215 or via email.

Slade Burns, Assistant Director

Mr. Burns joined Kent Denver's college counseling team in 2020, bringing significant experience in both highly selective college admission and school-based college counseling.

Mr. Burns was a senior interviewer as a student at Pomona College, where he earned his degree in Environmental Geology with a minor in Politics. Upon graduation, Mr. Burns worked for his alma mater for four years as an admission officer, managing various recruitment territories, supervising student interviewers, working with College Horizons, and serving as a liaison to the athletics department, among other duties.

In 2018, he made the switch to university (college) counseling at the United World College in Changshu, China. In his position there, Mr. Burns counseled a caseload of 40–50 students in each grade through all aspects of the college search and application process, and coordinated workshops on essay writing and interviewing.

Mr. Burns can be reached at (303) 770-7660 ext. 218 or via email.

Natalie Ford, Associate Director

Ms. Ford has extensive experience in higher education admissions through her work as an admission officer at Arcadia University, Lehigh University and Princeton University and an external reader for University of California, Berkeley. She is also deeply experienced in independent school college counseling, having served as Associate Director of College Counseling at the Menlo School, a leading 6–12 independent school in Atherton, California, from 2018-2023.

Joining Kent Denver's College Counseling team in 2023 was something of a homecoming for Ms. Ford, as she is a proud Colorado Buffalo with fond memories of her college years at CU Boulder. She also notes that the combination of her undergraduate experiences and professional background are particularly helpful in advising college-bound students.

“Given my perspective as an alumna of a large public university in tandem with my professional experience at premier research institutions, I find excitement in sharing my knowledge with students and their families as they seek college options that support their academic and personal goals.”

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