College Prep Starts on Day One at Immaculate High School

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Some students have a dream college in their mind from the moment they start high school – but Marcella Daily of Newtown wasn’t one of them.

The Immaculate High School alum, who’s now a successful management consultant in Philadelphia, credits the school’s Counseling Department for helping her get to where she is today. “Even though my two older sisters went to the University of Notre Dame, as the youngest I wanted something different,” Daily said. “The great thing about the mentorship I received at Immaculate was I was highly encouraged to create my own path.”

That she did. After her counselor helped Daily identify her key criteria – a small environment that embodied her Catholic faith – she narrowed her choices down to a select group of colleges. Ultimately, Daily ended up studying economics at Villanova University and wouldn’t change a thing.

“It was the perfect place for me and I love the company I’m working for now,” Daily said, who graduated college in 2022. “Looking back, what's special about Immaculate is not just the hands-on relationship you have with counselors but the teachers, too. I really believe they wanted me to succeed post graduation and I’m still in touch with many.”

Counselors have this time because their caseload is smaller. Each Immaculate counselor is assigned 125 students compared to the national average of 415 students per counselor. (According to the American School Counselor Association’s data from 2020-21). That means Immaculate has three times the number of counselors per student than the United States average. An 11 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures that students receive personal academic support as well. This individualized attention - plus Immaculate’s core Catholic values - are what makes it special.

“We don’t just build graduates. We build great young adults. We build character,” said Mike DiGennaro, a counselor on Immaculate’s team. “We are a college prep school so our academic level is high and our motto is respect, responsibility and reverence. It’s who we are.”

“I love that we are able to give students such personalized service,” Alexa Durkin, a counselor who heads the school’s Student Advisory Program, added. “Our Advisory sessions involve teachers, counselors and administrators who provide grade-level experience on things like study-skills, the college selection process and transitioning to college.”

The formula is clearly working. Immaculate’s Class of 2022 was offered spots at 243 colleges and universities including Boston University, Georgetown, Yale, Wake Forest, the University of North Carolina, Georgia Tech, West Point and UCONN. And, the most recent graduating class earned offers of $33.5 million in scholarships and grants, making this high school education an investment that pays off for parents. Plus, Immaculate’s SAT scores repeatedly outperform national and State of Connecticut averages and are the #1 SAT scores in the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

“We start supporting students’ college dreams the moment they walk through our door,” said Tim Nash, Dean of Counseling and Student Services, who brings years of experience as a college counselor to Immaculate. “We have a great counseling team and faculty who really care – and it shows in what our students are able to achieve and the scholarships they are offered from top institutions.”

Each Immaculate student is assigned a counselor who assists them through all four years of high school. At the beginning of Freshman year, counselors interview students to identify their strengths, weaknesses, goals and passions. Mentors also give students recommendations about which clubs, activities and sports might be of interest. If they have a particular college ambition, the staff member talks to them about what it will take to make it a reality.

“We can help a B student become an A student. We can find a diamond in the rough that’s a perfect fit for a certain college,” DiGennaro said. “At Immaculate we have the time to explore colleges with them over several years as opposed to just helping them with the application process as seniors.”

In their Sophomore year, students are encouraged to use Naviance – a platform that helps them discover their strengths and research careers that match their interests. They also participate in a career day at Immaculate.

As Juniors, students begin to really start the college process and counselors say this is a “huge year.” In January, they attend an Alumni Panel to hear from recent Immaculate graduates about their experiences in college. Marcella Daily points to this as an incredibly helpful part of the process for her.

“Because we were a small school, it was a very personal experience,” she said of the alumni event she attended at Immaculate. ”We asked very real questions and they were up front so it was great to learn a peer’s perspective.” Immaculate is hosting its next Alumni Panel on January 4, 2023.

During the Junior year, parents and students attend the school’s College Night Part I in January and Part II in April to learn about the application process and financial aid. There’s also a Family Meeting for students, their parents or guardians and their counselor. At this point, Juniors start asking teachers for letters of recommendation and registering for standardized tests.

In their Senior year, students make final decisions about what schools they want to apply to and sign up to meet with college reps who visit. This fall, 119 colleges and universities visited Immaculate including Vanderbilt University, the University of Chicago, Providence College, Bucknell University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Fairfield University, Xavier University, and Virginia Polytechnic University to name a few.

The Counseling Department also takes field trips to area schools so students can experience the campuses first hand. This year, a group visited Yale University in November and another group toured Trinity College this month.

Immaculate’s innovative curriculum allows students to earn college credit through dual-enrollment courses with Quinnipiac University, Fairfield University, the University of Connecticut and Western Connecticut State University. Top colleges and universities are impressed with this kind of academic preparation, said Dean Nash.

Parents are impressed too. Not only does Immaculate take some of the college prep pressure off them by providing incredible counseling, but it makes this private school education a smart investment.

“Immaculate was the perfect place for our four children!” said Catherine Bruckmanm Kallberg. “The relatively small size allowed them to see and be seen and afforded them each the opportunity to stand out and be recognized for their skills and talents while gaining new ones. Our kids were so well prepared for college and beyond!”

To learn more about Immaculate High School, click here: https://www.immaculatehs.org The school is accepting applications on a rolling basis for the 2023-24 school year.

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