College Advising

Our goal is that each student looks back on their college search with pride and moves forward with confidence. Wherever they ultimately go, we want them to continue to cultivate and carry with them the Sacred Heart Goals they have made their own. We integrate that spirit of “growing humanly” into our relationships with students and every facet of our program.

Our guiding principles:

• Fit is the ultimate outcome. Fit is multi-dimensional and individually assessed.
• College searches run on self-reflection. The better students know themselves and the adults they imagine growing into, the easier these decisions will be.
  • We can’t tell students all the answers. Instead, we encourage students to ask the right questions – of themselves and their potential future communities.
• A college search can teach a student a great deal, not merely result in a matriculation.
  • This may be the first time a student makes a decision of this scale; it won’t be the last. We help them acquire tools and strategies they can keep using long after their diplomas hit the wall.
• We are on the student’s team, but the student drives the process.
  • We expect students to take ownership of, and responsibility for, completing tasks, managing deadlines, and doing their own research.
  • We are here and accessible to offer plenty of help, encouragement, and expertise along the way.
• A college search is a big, complicated, important project. It is not a student’s only, or even their most important, priority.
  • We take our students’ futures seriously, but encourage healthy balance with all the other facets of a full, dynamic life, especially their mental and emotional wellbeing and relationships with their family, friends, and community.
• A college search can be fun! When students are confident and trust that the process will work out well, we can (and should) approach tasks and milestones with joy and excitement.
• Lifelong learning applies to us, too. We keep up with our profession and the landscape of higher education, build and maintain relationships with counterparts and colleagues, and contribute to our field.
  • We follow the best practices outlined in the National Association of College and Admission Counselors’ Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission.

9th & 10th Grades:

While the formal college advising process officially begins with upperclassmen, we know families have questions throughout Upper School. We host meetings geared towards freshman and sophomore students and families throughout the year to offer advice and answer questions. Sophomores explore the diversity of possibilities during a three-day multi-college tour in the spring.

11th Grade:

Juniors begin their college search in a more intentional way, starting with informational meetings for students and parents to kick off the school year. Juniors may meet with college admission representatives when they visit Duchesne in the fall. Many will attend the Catholic High Schools College Fair, as well.

Following winter break, we meet with individual families and begin shepherding juniors through a process of focused self-reflection. Along the way, we get to know more about students’ stories, hopes, and dreams. With our guidance, students research colleges, informed by a growing awareness of their interests, strengths, and preferences. They create and curate college lists closely tailored to fit them as an individual.

During a series of one-on-one meetings and grade-level sessions during AAA, students learn the application process and work on their essays and résumés. Evening programs for families keep them in the loop, covering topics from the role of a parent in their child’s college search to case studies taking them inside the admission office.

Juniors have the option to take College Essays and Conversations, co-taught by the College Advisors and Mrs. Dabney, an elective class that provides practical in-depth guidance to writing essays and providing colleges with a complete picture of the student beyond the transcript.

12th Grade:

By senior year, students are ready to tackle application season. We work closely with students so they can present themselves authentically to colleges with confidence. When decisions are released, we listen to and counsel students as they make their final decision. We celebrate a student crossing the finish line on a college search by taking a photo and placing it on the map in the Upper School hallway.

We are excited to welcome you to campus! In-person and virtual visits are available between August 19 and November 11, 2024. Both may be scheduled through Scoir.

Visits are typically 35-40 minutes during one half of a free period. If your schedule permits, we’d be delighted to connect with you individually after you meet with students.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katie Frink.

Confirmation letters may be addressed to: 

College Advising
Duchesne Academy
10202 Memorial Dr
Houston, TX 77024