Spring term is always a critical time for high school juniors and seniors, as they refine their college lists, prepare for testing, or receive college admissions decisions. The HPA campus may be closed, with students engaged in distance learning, but the HPA college counseling team continues to provide students with seamless support.
“Our curriculum has been available online for several years now, so the major adjustment is implementing the online curriculum virtually instead of in person,” says Cindy Montgomery, associate director of college counseling. “We’re in daily contact with our students and their families,” adds Andrew Kelsey, director of college counseling. “That’s business as usual.”
Each year, HPA’s college counseling team—Kelsey, Montgomery, and Jane Quayle—split the junior and senior class members among themselves, and provide one-on-one counseling to each student throughout the year. That individual attention continues now online.
Over the next couple of weeks, juniors will complete college counseling tasks through MyHPA, and the counselors will circle back to them individually. “We can see each student’s college list, so in our one-one-one sessions, we can say, ‘Great job! So many good schools. I’m going to send you a list of 10 schools that are similar to check out,’” Kelsey explains. “Students also invite us to view their Common App in process. If they need help, we can say, ‘great—share your screen and and I’ll walk you through it.’”
We’re in daily contact with our students and their families. That’s business as usual.”
—Andrew Kelsey, director of college counseling
The shifting landscape in the wake of coronavirus extends beyond HPA, of course. After many Zoom sessions with colleges and state and national professional organizations, the Hawaii Association for College Admission Counseling (HACAC) recently decided not to offer virtual college fairs this spring. “Instead,” says Montgomery, who serves on the Executive Board of HACAC, “we are participating in Strive for College Knowledge: A Virtual College Exploration Week that will take place from April 20-23. Through this free resource, students throughout the nation will have an opportunity to visit virtually with a wide range of colleges and universities.
“In addition, Andrew and I are working with our friends in the University of California admission offices as well as other colleges and universities throughout the country to set up virtual information sessions with our students,” she says.
Though HPA’s experienced and technologically-adept college counseling team may not break a sweat with the move to continuous learning, their concern for students remains at the forefront. Montgomery, who is also the senior class dean, laments this moment for the Class of 2020, in particular. “Their goodbyes were quite abrupt and unexpected—it was torn away from them so quickly. I am hopeful that we will be able to celebrate them in a deeply meaningful way even though we cannot be together on campus this May.”In the meantime, Kelsey says, “Our students are really positive and capable. It’s going to be smooth for them, and we are standing at the ready.”