Groton School students have long realized enviable success in the college admissions process in large part due to the excellent preparation they receive through all of their engagements in this small, intense community. They emerge intellectually curious, extremely well-trained academically, and able to shape positively the communities they enter, in part by their native inclinations and in part by the lessons learned while at Groton School. College admissions counseling at Groton is an integral part of student experience at school and supports the broader objectives of their education by focusing deliberately upon development of student self-awareness, intellectual passion, and maturity.

Groton’s team of college counselors are involved broadly and deeply in the lives of students in this community—teaching, coaching, acting as academic advisors, running dormitories, and meeting all other responsibilities necessary to be involved fully in the lives of students. As a result, Groton’s college counselors both know and are known well by students well before the active phase of the college admissions counseling process begins in the winter of the Fifth Form year. They function as resources for younger students curious about academic planning, standardized testing, and summer opportunities.  View the Groton School College Handbook published by the College Couseling Office.

Once the college admissions process begins in earnest during the winter of the Fifth Form year, the three college counselors meet every month with the entire Form and frequently with individual students. During this time together over the course of eighteen months, topics of conversation start with big picture questions: What does the student care about? How does the student imagine contributing to the broader world after Groton and after college? What sort of school would help the student realize his or her dreams? A tentative list of colleges and universities emerges from these discussions; counselor and student work together to balance student affinities against risk to make sure that students have ample choice once application results emerge in March of their Sixth Form year.

While college counselors are working with students, they are also engaged in work with their parents. Though some parents live down the street from campus and others live several time zones away, Groton’s college counselors are involved regularly in decoding the complex college process for parents, and doing so helps to keep parents involved in and confident about their child’s process.

Additionally, Groton’s college counselors work closely with colleges and universities to which Groton students apply. Travel through the course of the year is complemented by regular visits from college admissions officers to Groton’s campus to meet with students and college counselors. As completed applications are being reviewed, Groton’s college counselors engage in regular discussion with the representatives in the college admission offices.

Once our students matriculate in college, the results of a Groton education begin to bear fruit. Our students earn far higher GPAs on average than their non-Groton peers, and they are both broadly and deeply involved in shaping favorably the communities they enter.

We encourage you to call or email with questions.