Statement of Purpose
The college admissions process represents another component of education in the life of the Princeton Day School student. By exploring college options and thinking about how to apply one’s PDS education to life beyond our campus, a student gains an important opportunity for personal growth, self-reflection, and self-discovery. The College Counseling Office is aware of the excitement and challenges at this critical juncture in our students’ lives and seeks to provide the necessary tools to help students and families navigate the many pathways to college admissions.
While outcomes are important, we also value the process through which students discover good college matches. A “good college” for one student may not, necessarily, be a “good college” for another student. Students must take the time to explore the options available to them and decide which elements of location, academics, and student life matter most to them. All of these components together, along with financial considerations, shape the “fit” of a particular institution for a student. We do recognize that where a student ultimately enrolls must be a family decision. However, we also believe that this application process is an important step in the student’s overall maturation process; to deprive them of being in the “driver’s seat” is to deny them an important opportunity for personal growth.
Drawing on our experiences working in both college admissions and on “this side of the desk,” the college counselors at Princeton Day School support, guide, and educate our students and their families as they engage in this self-reflection and explore the ever-changing world of college admissions. Through individual meetings, weekly college seminars, E-newsletters, and our Naviance computer program, we ensure that our students and parents are supported and well-versed in the nuances of the college process. It is a privilege to work with such a dynamic and vibrant group of students. The College Counseling Office believes that learning is a lifelong process, and PDS prepares students well not only for college, but for life beyond. We are excited to help students identify college matches that will inspire them to dream, meet their educational needs, and nurture them in the next step of their education.
Class of 2009The Princeton Day School Class of 2009 is distinguished by the many talents and accomplishments of individual students who have earned recognition as National Merit Scholar Finalists and Advanced Placement Scholars, published poets and authors, athletes, community volunteers and award-winning performers, artists, scientists and photographers.
- This year, 25 percent of PDS seniors were honored for outstanding achievement by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. , including two National Merit Scholarship recipients.
- As of mid-February, 65 percent of the Class of 2009 had received early admission to a college of their choice, including Columbia, Cornell, NYU Tisch, Georgetown, U of Pennsylvania, Tufts, Wellesley, Lehigh, Hamilton and Kenyon College.
- Students will be pursuing engineering, musical theater, business, architecture and liberal arts
- For a list of colleges and universities the Class of 2009 is attending, click here.
Support for Students
Princeton Day School provides a variety of support systems for our students and their families.
While students and parents at PDS are welcome to ask questions of the college counselors in our office at any point, our “official” work together begins in January of the junior year, when each student is assigned to work with one of the college counselors individually and juniors begin attending weekly college seminars. These seminars supplement students’ individual meetings with their counselor and ensure that everyone stays on track with the college admissions process. In addition to the print materials available in the College Counseling Office library, we also post many electronic resources for junior and senior parents on Inside PDS and Naviance, including a step-by-step electronic “handbook” and a monthly e-Newsletter.
Students and parents also are given access codes to Naviance Family Connection during their junior year. This computer program assists students in researching colleges and managing their applications. In addition, each April, the college counseling office hosts a college fair for juniors. Naviance link
During the senior year, students continue with their weekly seminar classes and individual meetings and are given the opportunity to talk with more than 100 college representatives who visit our school during the fall.