Community Corner
How Do You Give Your Child a Leg Up in College Admissions?
Immaculate High School Has a Winning Formula
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Ecstatic.
That’s how Immaculate High School senior Ava Fleming of Redding describes her reaction to getting into Georgetown University - her dream school.
“I was accepted directly into Georgetown's School of Nursing, so I will be on track to earn a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing with a potential minor in psychology,” Fleming said. “My choice to matriculate at Immaculate determined not just my admissions success, but my decision to pursue nursing as a whole. The Counseling Department was incredibly helpful in guiding me.”
Immaculate’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program is one of several signature programs the school offers and helped the school earn an A+ grade from Niche rankings this year. Some other concentrations are: STEM, Graphic Arts, American Sign Language, Podcast 101 and its eSports Program. The CNA track gives students hands-on experience in the medical field where they do clinical rotations at Hancock Hall nursing facility and take an exam to become Certified Nursing Assistants in Connecticut as juniors or seniors.
“Immaculate gave my daughter the confidence and ability to believe in herself. The school’s teachers truly support these students and counselors are guiding students from the very beginning,” said Lisa Ghosh of Newtown, whose daughter Leah was also in the CNA program and was accepted at the University of Miami, her top choice. “Leah took the AP Bio class that is a dual enrollment with UCONN for college credit and it challenged her and helped her grow.” Leah earned a spot in the University of Miami’s pre-med program and plans to pursue a career working with kids in medicine, either through pediatrics or optometry.
Immaculate prides itself on its 100% college acceptance rate and credits its commitment to this guiding principle: college prep starts on day one. The school launched an innovative new program designed specifically for new Mustangs (the school’s mascot) called FOALS. It’s designed to acclimate freshmen to high school life and teach them how to make the journey a successful one. Counselors meet with freshmen individually and in groups to discuss executive function skills, good study habits and course selection. Students are also introduced to Scoir, an online software providing college planning and career assessment tools.
In the sophomore and junior years, counselor involvement remains high and, with a 95:1 counselor to student ratio, Mustangs receive considerable individual attention. Class specific advisory sessions are held to focus on academic success and the college selection process. Students attend Alumni Panels to hear from recent Immaculate graduates about their experiences in college, a Career Day to explore different professions and several College Nights. In their senior year, students make final decisions about which schools they will apply to and can meet with any of the nearly 120 college reps who visit.
Immaculate’s formula is delivering. This year’s seniors have already earned acceptances at a host of top schools including the University of Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Clemson University, Carnegie Mellon University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University, Villanova University, Elon University, New York University, Northeastern University, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Texas and Providence College. Immaculate’s Class of 2023 earned offers of $24 million in scholarships and grants, making this high school education an investment that pays off for parents.
The school’s SAT scores repeatedly outperform national and Connecticut averages. Mustangs start taking the PSAT their freshman year to help hone their test taking skills. Students start working on their college essays in the spring of their junior years in English class. They can also take a summer enrichment workshop as juniors called “Your College Entrance Essay: Drafting, Revising, Finalizing.”
“It’s simple,” said Tim Nash, Dean of Counseling and Student Services, who brings years of experience as a college counselor to Immaculate. “We put the focus on college prep from the moment Mustangs enter Immaculate - and it shows. We support their rigorous academic development with individual attention and get them thinking about colleges and potential careers early on. Our students and parents appreciate our enthusiasm plus the commitment of our faculty and counseling team.”
Immaculate’s innovative curriculum allows students to earn college credit through dual-enrollment courses with Quinnipiac 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.
You don’t have to convince senior Kevin Bailie of New Fairfield. He has already been accepted into the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, the University of Delaware and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute but is still waiting to hear back from some other schools. Bailie credits Immaculate for helping him earn a prestigious $50,000 STEM scholarship from The Angeles T. Arredondo Foundation that will pay his college costs.
“They focus on college admissions right away here with some great discussions about what interests you and what expectations certain colleges have,” said Bailie. “I plan to major in biomed engineering with a double major in public health. My goal is to change the way the organ transplant list is handled here in America.” Bailie’s passion comes from his own struggle with liver disease at age 14 - a health crisis that almost required him to need a transplant.
Immaculate pushes students to have these big goals, give back through service and take on leadership roles in our society. It’s a mission that touches every aspect of education here, including college admissions.
For parents like Lisa Ghosh, the strong academics, faith-based education and college prep track record makes deciding on Immaculate a no-brainer. “I strongly believe in Immaculate,” she said. “In all they do, they make sure students are a priority.”
To learn more about visiting Immaculate and becoming a part of its thriving community, visit https://www.immaculatehs.org/admissions/overview.
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