College Symposium Through the Spectacles of a Parent

Over 280 sophomores, juniors, and parents from the Great Hearts Arizona network entered Scottsdale Prep this past weekend with one thing in common – the desire to gain more information to help with their upcoming college decisions.  The participants had the opportunity to meet with representatives from 59 colleges at the 15th Annual Great Hearts College Symposium.

“We were pleased to see such a strong turnout from the class of 2024 and looking forward to hosting the event again next year for our Great Hearts high school students,” said Great Hearts Director of College Counseling, Roslyn Fletcher.

The afternoon began with a Personal Statement Workshop before attendees were released to visit several classrooms where the college representatives had information tables set up.  Attendees had the opportunity to go to the rooms of their choice to listen to mini presentations from these representatives. Parents were given the option to attend a Financial Aid Presentation during this time.  The afternoon culminated with students going back to college booths to personally meet with representatives and ask any questions they had. “In addition to strong interest in our in-state universities, University of Oregon, Texas A & M, University Chicago,Colorado School of Mines, and University of Alabama received the most student and parent interest during the college fair this year,” said Fletcher.

Besides writing articles for Great Hearts, I am also a Great Hearts parent.  I have four children who attend Great Hearts Academies, with my two oldest daughters in high school, the oldest a junior and the younger a sophomore. Our daughters are in different places in their college journeys, as my sophomore is still exploring majors, and my junior is discovering locations and experiences that she is looking for in a college or university.

I attended the Symposium for the first time this year with my wife and our daughters. My girls, adorned in their school uniforms, drew stars next to several schools that sparked their interests on the list they received from their college counselor.  My wife and I, however, were in a state of shock that we were even there.  How could our little girls be meeting with potential colleges already?  We didn’t feel old enough to be the parents of college bound children, until we had to put on our glasses to read the names of schools off the list (I blame small print). It was a bit overwhelming at first, but that feeling was soon subdued by the excitement in the halls as we waved to other parents as we were all being pulled from room to room.

There was one point where I found myself having to fight the tears as my oldest child confidently asserted herself and introduced herself to each representative.  There were no awkward pauses or nervous giggling.  She knew the exact questions that she wanted to ask, what she was looking for, and was able to advocate for herself.

I attribute her confidence and focus to the amazing college counselors at Great Hearts.  As a relatively new family to Great Hearts, we have been so impressed with the support that our own high school students have received.  With very limited support given in the past, my family came with a lot of questions when it came to preparing for college.  Our daughters’ college counselor has provided them with great one-on-one support and has really taken the time to get to know our them and their future goals. We have received personal emails informing us about programs and funding sources that fit our family’s individualized needs.  Not to mention the information nights we have attended where we have learned a wealth of information that has helped us prepare for the upcoming college years. Everything from real-life costs we can expect, to reminding us of upcoming deadlines, and helping us know when we are on track. We feel so much less stress and so much more confidence moving forward. We still have questions that come up every day, but we are grateful for the resources we have at our school to help us through. I truly believe the high level of college preparedness a high school scholar receives at Great Hearts is a hidden gem.

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.