This letter is in response to: Editorial: We Don’t Have Time for School Spirit

Dear Chronicle Editors and Readers,

The College Counseling Office appreciates the Chronicle Editors for raising an important concern: student well-being and the sense of community at Shorecrest. We read with great interest the February editorial titled, We Don’t Have Time for School Spirit. We wanted to offer the following response from the perspective of two educators, one who has worked as a college admissions professional for more than fifteen years at multiple institutions and the other who has worked as a college counseling director for twenty years at three college preparatory independent schools. We have both observed that students feel under constant pressure to “do more” in academics and extracurriculars, whether it is taking more Advanced Placement classes, being involved in multiple student clubs and organizations, and holding as many leadership roles as possible.

We share the belief that school spirit, connection, and balance are essential parts of the Upper School experience. However, we respectfully challenge the idea that the message of “crafting your story” is the primary cause of student overload or disengagement. We do acknowledge that in our college counseling programs, we have used the phrase “crafting your story” as an approach to counseling students about how to present themselves in their college applications. What, when and how a student engages academically and in student life at Shorecrest is a matter of choice. In keeping with our office’s motto, We Guide, You Decide, a student ultimately makes the decisions that shape the direction of their Upper School experience. A student should choose their academic and extracurricular path based on what areas they are genuinely interested in and excited about pursuing instead of being motivated by the following question, “What will look the best on my college application?” In our guidance to students about “crafting your story,” the aim is to encourage them to be motivated to pursue their interests in the classroom and outside of the classroom in a meaningful and purposeful way.

An important part of Shorecrest’s College Counseling Office’s vision is to educate families in our school community about the college admissions process. The Chronicle editors expressed that school activities, including College Counseling Office events, are not attended by Shorecrest students because their busy schedules prevent them from participating. We have had several conversations with students and families about the academic and extracurricular commitments that students at Shorecrest manage and the busy work schedules of their parents/guardians. I acknowledge that we would like to see more attendance at our events. We have added more opportunities for families to engage with college and university admissions leaders as well as nationally recognized speakers in the profession. Some examples of recent events include:

• Spelman Preview Session, featuring Chelsea Holley, Director of Admissions at Spelman
• Navigating Critical Changes in Admissions Testing, featuring Ben Neely, a nationally recognized expert on standardized testing

On April 28th, Shorecrest will host Six Colleges, an evening presentation featuring six of the top liberal arts colleges in the United States, Amherst, Bowdoin, Carelton, Pomona, Swarthmore, Williams. Next year, Shorecrest will be the host school for the Tampa Bay Case Studies program, an annual event which invites juniors and their parents to participate in a case studies exercise led by college admissions officers from over 80 institutions. We realize the challenges that attending evening events can pose for Shorecrest families. With that said, based on feedback from parent and student community surveys, there is an expressed desire for more information about the college admissions process. Therefore, when events such as the ones mentioned above are not attended by the members of our school community, this represents missed opportunities to engage with college admissions representatives and to learn valuable information about colleges and/or about current trends and important topics in the college admissions profession.

The editorial justifiably highlights a real tension many students feel. But the solution is not to step away from thoughtful college preparation; it is to better understand it. We want students to feel empowered to make intentional choices, prioritize what they care about, and define success on their own terms. It may be difficult, but students/families need to stop comparing themselves and their college path to others.

We want to extend our appreciation to The Chronicle editors for raising these important concerns. The College Counseling Office looks forward to having continued dialogue and partnering with all the members of our community to look for ways to foster increased community engagement.

Sincerely,

The College Counseling Team