College Bound with BASIS Charter Schools: The Impact of College Counseling

One of the benefits of a BASIS Charter School education is your student’s senior year. Through uniquely designed trimesters, they will be preparing for college acceptance, finishing courses and testing, and possibly participating in the BASIS Diploma Senior Project. As a part of their first two trimesters, your senior will attend a daily college counseling class with guidance coordinators whose sole job is to prepare them for college admittance.

Dedicated to your student’s success, college guidance coordinators are in tune with the rapidly changing college admissions environment. They are a resource to support and encourage your senior during the application process. Working off a complex timeline, guidance coordinators help your student submit their applications in accordance with college deadlines, including early decision and early action. 

To learn more of the intricacies of the college counseling experience, we sat down with Adrienne Fluitt at BASIS Oro Valley. Here’s what she shared with us. 

During their daily sessions, students are briefed on how to:

• Choose a college
• Understand the different types of applications
• Meet deadlines
• Apply for financial aid
• Apply for scholarships
• Interact and interview with admissions representatives
• Write different types of essays

Your senior has unprecedented access to their college guidance coordinator, and is able to work with them outside the confines of the classroom. Some, like Ms. Fluitt, even make themselves available on a limited basis during the Winter Break.

Your student will also do a deep dive into the more personal aspects of choosing a college. Determining whether a school is a good fit is just as important as declaring a major. The campus they choose will be where they are working, learning, and possibly living for the next four years. 

Your senior will be advised to consider:

• Their major (for example, if they are going into marine biology, choose schools near an ocean!)
• The size of the campus
• The student population (diversity, culture, activities, student life etc)
• Community (urban, suburban, or rural)
• Proximity to necessities

Our college guidance coordinators also acknowledge the mental strain and stress that can occur during this time. They are quick to address what can, and cannot, be controlled during this process. 

Students are generally able to control their:

• Grades
• Essays
• Resume
• Test scores
• Extracurricular activities
• Major
• Interviews with admissions representatives

Students generally cannot control the following:

• The competitiveness of the school
• State requirements
• Race, income, and their location
• Family educational background
• Gender identity
• The bias of the admissions department

Considering these factors, our college guidance coordinators vehemently stress that college acceptance is not a measure of self-worth! The goal through counseling is to discover what your student wants out of their college education and experience.

BASIS Charter Schools are here to support every student on their educational journey, and beyond. Check out BASIS Peoria’s workshop on Medicine, Business and Beyond to see how we are preparing students for their futures. To hear more about the college counseling experience check out parts one and two of an interview with Shawn Gathas of BASIS Chandler.