Hyewon, a 12th grader in the midst of applying to colleges, is with College Access and Success Counselor Stephanie. Stephanie begins meeting with students regularly when they first join DTS in ninth grade, and she continues to check in with them weekly throughout college via FaceTime. Q:  How has your mentoring relationship evolved over the years? Stephanie:  Initially our relationship revolved around Hyewon’s academics, mostly me checking in on her grades and advising her through her academic struggles. Hyewon then invited me to an awards ceremony where she received a Korean leadership award, and I was immersed in her culture….

Last week, DTS, in conjunction with Hamilton High School’s parent booster club, hosted a college application personal statement workshop open to Hamilton’s entire senior class.  DTS staff and volunteers, along with 20 parent volunteers, worked one-on-one with students to help with brainstorming, fine tuning, and everything in between.  Over four hours, we helped more than 125 students feel more confident in their writing and in finding their voices.  It was an honor to be asked to provide this service for the greater population and a reminder that the need for college access assistance reaches far beyond the boundaries of the DTS…

Complementing our college admission representative visits are our twice-yearly excursions to local college campuses.  This month, DTS staff, students and their families toured Cal Poly Pomona, where we walked the campus, met current college students, and ate in the dining hall.  Our tour guides shared information about the school’s focus on hands-on learning, its strong veterinary, botany and hospitality programs, and its active student body.  College visits are an opportunity for students and their parents to “feel” campus life.  They strengthen students’ focus on their college goals and prompt them to reflect, “Do I see myself here?” “Setting foot on…

This month, DTS welcomed four college admissions representatives to speak to students about their respective institutions:  Abdiel Garcia from Harvard University; Jim Calderise from Oberlin College; Lia Brassord from Smith College; and Brenda Gomez from Franklin & Marshall College.  The representatives not only discussed their academic programs and admissions criteria, but shared about their schools’ mentoring programs, support for first generation students, study abroad opportunities, college town environments, and much more. College admissions rep visits are an essential element of DTS’s college going culture.  They’re highly motivating, and they also provide students with a framework for asking themselves important questions:…

The DTS college preparation curriculum encompasses much more than the nuts and bolts of applying to college. Our goal is for every DTS student to arrive on their respective college campus poised for success. One key element in the college-going process is the art and science of helping our students identify their best-fit schools.  Martha, member of the College 2023 Class, and a freshman at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, checked in with DTS this month. She reported, “I love it here at Bates. I love the atmosphere, the people, the environment, my classes. I know this sounds very cliche,…

DTS students, families and staff attended Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s speaking engagement at Santa Monica High School. Justice Sotomayor shared her life story and encouraged the group to continue to “Just Ask” (the title of her new children’s book) throughout their lives. The book features kids from many ethnic and non-traditional backgrounds who uncover their powers through reading and being different and brave. It was an inspiring evening for all!