College Counseling is Big in Texas

We recently highlighted the 15^th Annual Great Hearts College Symposium in Arizona, but did you know that Great Hearts Texas just hosted their Second Annual College Fair & Symposium as well?

“This year, several San Antonio area academies came together to provide an overnight college field trip through Austin, Waco, and Dallas before attending the College Fair and Symposium at Great Hearts Irving,” said Jessica Woods, Lead College Counselor at Great Hearts Northern Oaks. “I was on the bus that included counselors and students from Northern Oaks, Western Hills, Forest Heights, and Live Oak campuses. It was a wonderful trip, an amazing show of hospitality by our Great Hearts Irving friends, and we received a lot of positive feedback.”

The Great Hearts Texas College Counseling team hosted three successful college-focused events throughout the weekend. The first day, two charter buses, filled to the brim with 101 scholars, left San Antonio and embarked on a two-day college trip. The scholars toured the University of Texas at Austin, Baylor, Dallas Baptist University, and the University of Dallas. During the school visits, Great Hearts alums at UT Austin and Baylor had the opportunity to meet with the high school students and shared their college experiences.

10th grade scholar at Great Hearts Northern Oaks, Brie Dohner, felt the trip was a good preview of the college experience. “This college trip was a teaser trailer for what the independent experience of campus life could be like. Most importantly one needs to carefully consider the food on campus, alongside the academics.”

Following the road trip made by the South Texas schools, Great Hearts Irving pulled out the red carpet, hosting an evening college social. Maxiums, Great Hearts Irving’s mascot was first to greet the visitors! It was an evening full of friendship, games, delicious food, and swing dancing.

Sean Anderson, College Counselor at Great Hearts Forest Heights said, “It was so amazing to witness scholars from all the Texas upper schools have a chance to interact and make new friends. Even though they all attend different academies, they share an instant bond of being a Great Hearts scholar!”

The next day, Great Hearts scholars spent an entire afternoon conversing with college representatives from across the nation at the Texas Great Hearts Symposium and College Fair. There were liberal arts colleges, STEM schools, state schools, and private and parochial schools in attendance which gave families an excellent overview of options. “It was a pleasure to host the Great Hearts College Fair,” said Cheryl Mayne, College Counselor at Great Hearts Irving. “Our desire was that scholars and parents would have an efficient and productive way to explore colleges and meet with college representatives from a wide range of schools.”

Students were not the only ones impacted by the event as college representatives left the fair with glowing remarks about how wonderful Great Hearts students are. “The approach the Great Hearts students take at a college fair is refreshing,” said Toni D. Chandler, Associate Director of Admissions at Bradley University. “They are interested in a wide array of majors and programs. It’s always a pleasure to get to know them and help them on their college journey.”

“We plan these events in hopes that our scholars explore and find best fit colleges. Colleges that are scholars are not only accepted to, but that they thrive once they arrive on campus,” said Michelle Fitzgerald, Director of College Counseling. “As a college counselor, there is nothing greater than to watch our scholars’ eyes light up with excitement as they speak about a college, they discovered at the fair that had exactly what they were looking for.”

The individualized care that Great Hearts College Counselors give to scholars and special programming like the College Fair and Symposium are just a small snapshot of the high level of college preparedness a high school student will receive at Great Hearts. College Counseling is truly the hidden gem that sets Great Hearts academies apart from others.

“Thank you to Great Hearts for an enlightening and exciting college trip,” said Olivia Lopez, an 11th grade scholar at Great Hearts Northern Oaks. “Between the four college visits and the opportunity to speak to a gym full of reps, I left feeling 100 times more prepared to embark on my impending college journey. Further, it was heartwarming to see the Great Hearts schools come together and bond over not only college preparation, but also our mutual love of swing dancing, games, and conversation! I’d highly recommend this trip to all rising Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors!”

Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts?  Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org.