Dear Seniors and Parents:

On behalf of the College Counseling Office, I would like to welcome you all to the start of the 2005 - 2006 school year. Clearly, this is a very important year-- one that invariably includes demanding courses, increased responsibilities, frantic schedules, and the need for thoughtful planning and execution of the college application process.

Here are a few things to keep in mind during the early weeks of the new school year:

1. The SAT registration deadline for the October 8th date is September 7th. The ACT registration deadline for the October 23rd date is September 17th.
2. Our annual College Night for Seniors and their parents is Monday, September 12th, at 7pm in the Theater. This is a very important meeting during which we will detail our goals, expectations, and deadlines for managing the college application process.
3. Despite rumors to the contrary, grades from the Senior year are very important, so plan to make the first semester your best ever.
4. Students: Plan to meet with Mr. Giffen or Mr. Klausner as soon as you can to begin to finalize the list of colleges to which you plan to apply. This is especially important for those students who are considering Early Decision, Early Action, and/or Rolling Admissions plans.
5. Aside from admission application deadlines, it is essential that you make yourself aware of specific scholarship and financial aid deadlines at each of your prospective colleges or universities. To be considered for awards, you may find that many schools require forms or applications to be submitted quite early in the academic year.
6. Start thinking about which teachers you might like to ask to write your college recommendations. We can discuss those choices and talk about supplementary recommendations that you might consider which could highlight talents and activities beyond the classroom.
7. Parents: please know that Dick Klausner and I welcome your calls and questions and that we are happy to meet at any time, but also know that we strongly believe that this is a student-driven process. Our boys need to "own" their process and feel that they control it. We, as their advocates, may need to prod, to challenge, and to question, but ultimately we need to support, to respect, and to affirm their choices.
8. Thank you to all the parents who have completed the parent questionnaire on TCCI Family Connection. For those of you still working on it, please know that your comments about your son often provide crucial pieces of information that help us to craft the school's official recommendation. September 1st is our target deadline, but the 15th would be fine.
9. Finally, please be sure to stop by the College Counseling Office anytime. Boys: the candy is still here!

All the best,

Terry Giffen

Terence A. Giffen
Director of College Counseling
Montgomery Bell Academy
Phone: 615-298-5514 ext. 219
Fax: 615-369-5376
Email: giffent@montgomerybell.co