College preparation is officially beginning earlier at Marlborough, with the Class of 2025 being the first sophomore class to be assigned college counselors during the spring semester. Before this new decision, students would receive college counselors the semester during their junior year. However, the policy has shifted in hopes of developing a more profound relationship with the students and assisting them in course selection.

“I think what we are really interested in is developing relationships with students earlier,” Dean of College Counseling Monica DePriest explained. “It really helps us to strengthen those relationships and have an even better sense of the kind of schools that would be a great fit for students, as we get to know them better.” 

Members of the sophomore class are enthusiastic about this change and have expressed that they believe it will allow for them to feel a lot more prepared during the process.

“I think they’re going to be incredibly helpful, because I don’t have an older sibling so I don’t know the process of getting in,” Iara ’25 said. “And even though my parents attended college, since then, the competition and difficulty levels have definitely changed, so having someone who is very informed and up to date about the process will be very beneficial.”

While many questions remain for the class of 2025, college counselors have already created a plan to ensure that they will have a productive next two and a half years for a successful application process for the sophomores. 

“With sophomores, the focus is really on two things,” DePriest said. “One is planning for junior and senior year, then two is focusing on summer and how students can best utilize the more ‘relaxed time’ during the summer, in order to make their summers more productive and beneficial. Every year will really be a building block from the one that came before, making us have a bigger presence each year in every student’s lives.” 

Due to their own experiences, members of the junior class have expressed their opinions on sophomores being given college counselors, with some agreeing that they would have appreciated having the assistance of a college counselor to guide them through their transition from sophomore year to junior year.

“As a sophomore, I was really concerned about course selection, whether that be the difference between honors and APs or how many APs is too many, and all of that was just very overwhelming,” Baronnet-Voloshin ’24 expressed. “I think it will be really helpful for the current sophomores to have more information about this process, as I definitely had a struggle determining what classes were most fitting for me and aligned with my interests.” 

With the building blocks of a new system in place for college preparation, students, faculty and parents are all on board. This alignment will curate a smoother transition for upperclassmen, as they pursue their college choices and eventually narrow in on the ones that will truly be the best fit for them after graduation.