College & Career Counseling
Founded in 2015, West End Secondary School is a combined middle and high school that currently serves students in grades 6 - 11, continuing to add a new grade each year. Our first high school class will graduate in spring of 2022.
College & Career Readiness at WESS. At WESS, readiness for the complexities of the world after high school are fundamentally ingrained in our core values and learning model. Our students engage in rigorous and challenging coursework, including an array of AP classes through a unique, project-based learning model. Like real world scientists, journalists, historians, or artists, our students are asked to be resilient and creative in this work, engaging in a process of exploration, experimentation, and innovation.
Our students are supported through “crew”, a bi-weekly small group focusing on character development and relationship building, preparing them to be compassionate and engaged members of their future communities. As our founding classes, our current high schoolers are deeply familiar with what it means to take initiative, ask meaningful questions, advocate for change, and make their voices heard in their college communities.
Our School Profile. Read more about our school community, our curriculum, and what makes WESS unique in our 2022-2023 School Profile.
Admissions Rep Visits to WESS.
In fall 2020, over 50 admissions representatives from a range of colleges and universities across the United States (and the world) visited WESS to meet with students in small groups, answer questions, and share about their institutions. A partial list of Rep Visits for fall 2020 includes: Lafayette College, SUNY Oswego, University of Chicago, Pitzer College, Oberlin College, SUNY New Paltz, Brown University, Ithaca College, Ryerson University (CA), Colgate University, Washington University St. Louis, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clark Atlanta University, Colgate University, Rutgers University, Bard College, University of Rochester, Syracuse University, Tufts University, SUNY Albany, Tulane University, American University, SUNY Binghamton, Boston University, College of Charleston, Colorado College, Wake Forest University, Haverford College, The New School/Parsons.
Are you an admissions rep interested in visiting WESS? Our schedule is closed for fall 2020 on Rep Visits; if you’re interested in visiting in Fall 2022 or Spring 2023, contact our college counselor, Molly, at mollyw@westendsecondary.com for more information.
WESS Programming and Support for Students & Families. WESS offers a comprehensive, four year approach to college and career readiness.
9th Grade: In 9th grade, the focus for college & career readiness is on diving into their WESS experience, academically, socially, and extracurricularly. Students are supported through crew activities that help students be an empowered learner and active participants in education, by understanding high school academics and academic policy, as well as support with joining clubs and activities at WESS, applying for outside opportunities, and planning for the summer after 9th grade.
9th grade students also explore the question “Why do people go to college? What might going to college look like for me?” by attending the EL College March and going on an exploratory college trip.
10th Grade: In 10th grade, WESS students are supported in continuing and growing their interests and successes from 9th grade. In the fall semester, 10th grade students are supported through a series of workshops that help students explore their interests and strengths, reflect on their story so far, create a resume, apply programs or opportunities to expand their engagement (including planning ahead for the summer after 10th grade).
In the spring semester, 10th grade students complete workshops focused on “college knowledge” (learning, generally, about different post-secondary options), then put their learning into practice by visiting a college campus, having a conversation with an admissions rep panel, and holding a mock college fair for the younger grades.
All WESS 10th graders also take the PSAT 10 at WESS for free during the school day. To help students and families understand and be empowered in admissions testing and the testing landscape, 10th graders and 10th grade families are supported through an early awareness event on testing and a mock SAT/ACT diagnostic.
11th Grade: 11th grade is a busy and exciting year for students thinking about their plans for after high school, and WESS students are well supported in their activities. The fall is focused on college exploration, with a WESS-organized calendar of college fairs and events for students to attend, as well as admissions rep visits specifically for WESS students from 50+ colleges and universities. In the 11th Grade College & Career seminar, WESS students are supported in reflecting on “fit factors” -- such as personal goals, preferred learning environment, affordability -- to guide them in the post-secondary process, before completing a comprehensive college search on Naviance.
Other programmatic supports offered for 11th graders at WESS include:
Princeton Review SAT/ACT Prep Class for WESS Students.
FREE SAT School Day (at WESS) in March.
Junior College Family Night with Admissions Speakers & Financial Aid Review.
Robust Rep Visits program.
Presentation from CUNY.
College Essay Workshops.
Individual student meeting with college counselor (fall)
Family meeting with college counselor (spring).
Newsletters & Communications: Students and families across high school grades at WESS receive e-newsletters with reminders, tasks, and updates. 9th & 10th grade families receive a College Office newsletter once a month; 11th grade families receive a College Office e-newsletter twice a month.
Sample Resources:
11th Grade Newsletter
Task Lists (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th)
Sample Workshop
Get in Touch! Have questions about the college counseling program? Molly Willner, our College Counselor, is happy to be in touch. Contact at: mollyw@westendsecondary.com.