Academy of Science
Class of 2016
Student and Parent Insight Packet
Dear rising seniors and parents,
This semester marks the beginning of the end – the beginning of the final process that will lead
to submitting your applications next fall and enrolling in college in the fall of 2016. As a senior,
once you narrow the list of choices to those institutions that really appeal to you and you send in
the applications, you hand the control of the process to the colleges. For now, though, it’s all up
to you. It’s time to get started. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond to this
questionnaire.
For students, the process of completing this questionnaire is also intended to assist you in
making final choices of the institutions to which you plan to apply. Good decisions are made by
gathering good information and being organized. The extent to which you are able to take time
to provide thoughtful answers to this questionnaire will be a determining factor in the strength of
your final list.
For parents, your responses will help me as I assist your student with his/her college planning
and in writing the letter of recommendation which will accompany the transcript sent to each
college to which s/he applies. I value your insights and welcome your participation in this
process, and appreciate your support of your son or daughter this spring and summer with the
on-going process of information gathering, reading and research, and campus visiting.
Substantial progress should be made over the spring and summer and your senior should return
to AOS in September with a clearer fix on his/her interests and preferences. Remember that selfassessment, evaluation, patience, persistence, organization, and above all, good humor and
perspective are the elements of a happy transition from high school to college. A copy of this
completed questionnaire (preferably electronic) is due to me no later than June 30, 2014.
Jayne C. Fonash
Director of School Counseling
Academy of Science
P.S. This word document can be found on the AOS website under the School Counseling
channel, and can be completed and submitted electronically (hint - much easier to read!!)
Please take as much or as little space as necessary to respond to each question.
SECTION ONE: PARENT INSIGHT QUESTIONAIRRE
Student’s Name _____________________________________________________________
Parent’s name (completing this questionnaire) ____________________________________
Parents’ E-Mail Address (for correspondence)_____________________________________
Date being completed_____________________________
1) Describe your family! List other children in the family, their ages, and colleges attended:
2) Parents’ occupations and post-secondary education (colleges/graduate schools attended and
degrees earned):
3) What influenced you to send your son/daughter to AOS?
4) Tell us about your family (individuals, history, cultural influences, special circumstances) -anything that would be helpful for us to know as we work with your son or daughter?
5) Think of what you would see as an ideal college for your son or daughter. How would you
describe it in terms of location, size, competitiveness, and programs of study, cost, activities, and
other features?
6) Paying for college concerns all parents. Do you think that you will be applying for need-based
financial aid? Merit scholarships? Will cost be a determining factor in where your child applies or
enrolls?
7) Please list three adjectives that describe your student and provide examples.
a)
b)
c)
8) Describe briefly what you see as your son’s or daughter’s greatest strengths (academic and
personal).
9) If you were writing his/her letter of recommendation, what experiences, achievements, events, or
relationships would you highlight?
10) No one is perfect! In which areas is he/she less gifted (academic and personal)? To what
degree is s/he aware of/concerned about any weaknesses?
11) Are there particular colleges in which you have a strong interest and which you would like your
senior to seriously consider?
12) Do you have any special connections at these colleges which we should know about? If so,
please describe them:
13) Will you be visiting colleges with your son or daughter? What colleges do you hope to visit?
14) Any questions we should have asked here but forgot? Is there anything else we should know?
We are especially concerned that we know about any strong preferences or limits you expect to be
honored in your child’s college search.
15) Please share any questions or concerns you have about the college admission process and your
son/daughter’s plans. Also, feel free to elaborate on your responses to any of the questions on this
form on additional paper. Thank you for your help!
SECTION TWO: STUDENT INSIGHT QUESTIONAIRRE
Student’s Name _____________________________________________________________
Students’ E-Mail Address (for correspondence) ___________________________________
Date being completed_____________________________
1) What aspects of your high school years have you enjoyed the most? If you could live them over
again, would you do anything differently? If so, what?
2) What values are most important to you? What do you care about most?
3) How do you define success? Are you satisfied with your accomplishments to date? What do you
want to accomplish in the years ahead?
4) What kind of person would you like to become? Of your unique gifts and strengths, which would
you most like to develop?
5)
6)
If you had a year to go anywhere and do whatever you wanted, where would you go and what
would you do?
What events/experiences have shaped your growth and way of thinking?
7) What are your academic interests? Which courses have you enjoyed the most and which have
been the most difficult for you?
8) What are your career goals at present?
9) What do you choose to learn when you can learn on your own? Consider interests pursued
beyond class assignments: topics chosen for research papers, independent projects, reading on
your own, job or volunteer work, etc.
10) How do you learn best? What methods and styles of teaching engage your interest and effort
the most?
11)
Please list three adjectives that describe you and provide examples.
a)
b)
c)
12) How would someone who knows you well describe you? Your finest qualities? Your most
conspicuous shortcomings?
13) How have you grown or changed during your high school years thus far?
14) Is there a particular event that stands out to you as significant in your life? If so, please
describe the event and how it impacted you.
15) Which relationships are most important to you and why? Describe the people whom you
consider your best friends, your best critics, your best advocates.
16) How do you make decisions for yourself? What are the best decisions you have made recently?
How much do you rely on direction or advice from others?
17) What is your favorite book? Why?
18) In reviewing your transcript is there anything you’d like to explain to colleges in order to put
your grades or course selection in an appropriate context? If so, explain.
19) Of all the activities in which you have been involved during high school, which activity has been
most important to you and why? (You may choose a school-affiliated program or an
independent one.)
20) How have you contributed to the school or local community?
21) How have you shown evidence of leadership ability?
22) How have you demonstrated good character?
23) Describe any work or volunteer experiences you have had. What did you “take” from the
experience? How did you make a contribution – what did you “give” the experience?
24) Please complete the attached resume of school and community activities. Alternately, you may
attach a resume that includes this information. (Hint – Naviance has a great resume builder.)
25) Who have you approached (or do you plan to approach) for teacher recommendations?
26) Tell me about your research: how did you develop your question, what are you learning from
the process, what are your hopes for next year? Also, please attach a copy of your
abstract to this document.
ACTIVITY RECORD
Please don’t assume that your counselor can identify an activity by its initials or that he/she knows
what an activity entails. Be as specific as possible. You may use your own resume format, but
make sure that it reflects the information asked for on this sheet.
Grade
Year
9
10
11
12
School, Community, Summer
Activities
Hours/
Week
Week/
Year
Offices Held, Honors Won
WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO APPLY?
Please list the schools to which you plan to submit applications. In the box for the type of
application you plan to submit (early action, early decision, rolling admission or regular
decision) please list the due date for the application at each institution.
Institution
Early
Action
Early
Decision
Rolling
Admission
Regular
Decision