College Counseling
The Next Step
Shaped by Who Youâve Become.
At Kingswood Oxford, college counseling is about more than where youâll go next. Itâs about understanding who you are and what you want next. That discovery begins long before a college list takes shape. Through classes, conversations, challenges, and experiences at KO, students develop a clearer sense of their strengths, interests, values, and aspirations. They are shaped daily, and those discoveries help shape the choices they make about their future.
Our College Counseling Office works closely with students, families, and KOâs advising system, encouraging students to consider essential questions: Who am I? What do I love to learn and do? What kind of community will help me continue to grow?
Formal post-secondary planning begins in the winter of 10th grade and continues through graduation. Along the way, our counselors provide highly individualized guidance, helping students and families navigate an increasingly complex college landscape, understand what matters, and focus on the opportunities that best align with each studentâs goals.
KOâs College Counselors bring deep expertise to that partnership. They present at regional and national conferences, pursue ongoing professional development, and serve on college admission advisory boards across the country. That experience allows them to cut through the noise, demystify the process, and keep the focus where it belongs: on the individual student and finding the right fit.
Because the goal isnât simply getting into college. Itâs knowing yourself well enough to choose what comes next with confidence.
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Highlights of the college counseling process for juniors and seniors include:
- Small-group college counseling classes, taught by our college counselors, covering a range of topics related to the college search and application process
- Regular meetings with a college counselor, both individually and with families
- Support in building a college list based on their understanding of who they are, their academic and extracurricular interests, and the type of community with which they want to engage.Â
- Starting to work on their application materials, including the college essay
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Taking the practice ACT and SAT tests in 10th and 11th grade and helping students develop their standardized testing plan
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Participating in the Summer Common Application and Essay Workshop and College Application Preseason for seniors
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Meeting with more 120 college admission reps that visit KO every year
Recent College Acceptances
Our mission is to guide students and help them discover and fulfill their greatest potential, consistent with their goals and objectives.
â Jami Silver, Director of College Counseling
“This week my son traveled with a professor at Dickinsonâs expense to Toronto to present their green roof research at a global conference of academics, urban planners, and industry professionals. He was one of a handful of undergrads on the agenda, and his participation earned him the distinction of being published in his field of study as an undergrad.
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So Iâm writing to say thank you. Grad school is next, and itâs exciting that he has already met leaders in his field and is building his professional network. I know KO equipped my son with the confidence and discipline to get here, but I credit the college counselor 100% with his choice of college. Thank you for steering him to Dickinson. Thank you for recognizing that his strengths and needs were a perfect fit for a school that wasnât even on our radar. He is thriving. Heâs got a great circle of friends, too.”
Parent, Class of 2021
Stats & Facts for the Class of 2026
Class of 2026 College Survey
In an exit survey, students in the Class of 2026 overwhelmingly viewed KOâs college counseling program as:
one of the schoolâs strongest supports
highly personalized
emotionally reassuring
well-organized
significantly better than many peer-school experiences
The most appreciated elements were:
individualized counselor relationships
early preparation
essay guidance
structured timelines
accessibility and emotional support
Four-Year College Counseling Curriculum
Form 3 - 9th Grade
Form 4 - 10th Grade
Form 5 - 11th Grade
Form 6 - 12th Grade
MEET THE STAFF
Peggy Clark
Associate Director of College Counseling
Swathmore College, B.A.; Wesleyan University, M.A.L.S.; University of Hartford, M.S.
[email protected] 860-233-9631 X2215Bio
Jami Silver
Director of College Counseling, Co-Director of Leadership
Oberlin College, B.A.; Central Connecticut State University, M.A.
[email protected] 860-233-9631 X2276Bio
Sabrina Smith
College Counseling Coordinator
Western Connecticut State University, B.A.
[email protected] 860-233-9631 X2349Bio
Matthew Waldman
Associate Director of College Counseling
Ohio University, B.S.; Harvard University , M. Ed.
[email protected] 860-233-9631 X2333Bio
Where are the Wyverns? Matriculation 2022-2026
