For the life you want to build
The college you attend should be chosen because it is the best possible environment for the specific person you are — your intellectual character, your ambitions, your needs, and your honest self-assessment of where you will thrive. That conclusion sometimes leads to a highly selective research university. It sometimes leads to a state flagship. It sometimes leads to a liberal arts college in a small city, or a European institution, or an honors program that offers unique opportunities.
Our counselors have helped students find their way to all of these. Here’s how our program works:
The Process
The college counseling program at Clarebourne is a three-year sequence that begins in Grade 10. Students who think deeply about what they want from a college education arrive at their senior year with a clarity about themselves and their goals that makes the application process straightforward rather than overwhelming.
Grade 10 — self knowledge
The Grade 10 year begins with a series of individual meetings and small-group sessions with a college counselor. Students begin examining questions they may never have been asked directly: What kind of learner are you? What environment brings out your best thinking? What do you want your intellectual life to look like in four years? What matters to you enough to pursue seriously?
A student who has examined these question will make a decision based on genuine self-knowledge — and will be able to articulate that knowledge in an authentic way in their college application.
Grade 10 students also begin developing an understanding of the range of environments— each with distinct intellectual cultures, pedagogical philosophies, and community characteristics — in the college landscape.
Grade 11 — exploration and research
In Grade 11 the inquiry becomes external. Students visit colleges — virtually and in person — with a specific set of questions in mind developed from their Grade 10 self-knowledge work. They read about institutional cultures, talk to current students and recent graduates, and begin developing a sense of where they might flourish.
The college list emerges from this exploration. By the spring of Grade 11, each student has a working list of twelve to fifteen colleges organized by fit category — places where the student’s specific intellectual and personal profile is genuinely well-matched to the institution’s character. Some of those institutions will be highly selective. All of them will be places where the student has a real reason to be, beyond prestige.
Grade 11 students also begin the essay development process in the spring with a thought exercise. The question challenges them to consider “what is actually true about me that matters for this decision.” The writing follows from that clarity.
Grade 12 — applications and decisions
By September of Grade 12, students have a finalized college list, a clear sense of why each institution is on it, and the self-knowledge to convey something about themselves through clear-eyed, engaging narrative. The application process is demanding. Our counselors work individually with each Grade 12 student through every component of the application: essay development, recommendation coordination, interview preparation, financial aid strategy, and — once decisions arrive — the often surprisingly difficult work of choosing between options.
Our team
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Clarebourne approach highly selective admissions?
Directly and honestly. Our counselors maintain active relationships with admissions offices at highly selective institutions and advocate fully for students whose profiles are genuinely strong matches. We also tell families honestly when we believe the odds at a particular institution are not favorable — and we help them build a list that doesn’t depend on a single outcome.
Does Clarebourne support students applying to European universities?
Yes, with increasing frequency and sophistication. Malia Channing has developed particular expertise in the UK UCAS process and Dutch university applications, both of which operate on entirely different timelines and criteria from the US Common Application. Students interested in European options should flag this interest early in the Grade 10 year to allow adequate preparation time.
What about students who want affordable options or state schools?
The alumni record at state schools is a reminder that institutional prestige is not a predictor of individual outcome. Our counselors work with students choosing financially sensible paths to develop the mindset and the preparation that allows them to make the most of their chosen institutions. That conversation is one we consider among the most important we have.
How many students does each counselor work with?
Our current counselor-to-student ratio in the active counseling program (Grades 10–12) is approximately 1:28. We consider this ratio a ceiling, not a target — it is maintained deliberately so that every student receives the individual attention the program requires.