The Waverly School is a progressive school in Pasadena, California, spanning young kindergarten through high school.

College Counseling: Overview of College Admissions Process

College List

Waverly is a college preparatory school; its curriculum is specifically intended to prepare the student for higher education.  The 27 members of the Class of 2012 earned 153 acceptances to 86 colleges and universities. 100% of the Class of 2012 were admitted to four year colleges and universities.  Click here for a list of colleges and universities to which The Waverly School Class of 2012 was admitted.

To view the complete list of colleges and universities to which Waverly graduates have been accepted, click here.

Freshman Year

Ninth grade is a period of transition and, for some students, stress. Waverly supports student adjustment to the demands of high school rather than focusing narrowly on the college admissions process.

Freshmen should:

  • Take classes that are appropriate for them and dedicate themselves to strengthening their academic skills and exploring their intellectual interests.
  • Read, read, and read.
  • Eat dinner with their parents/guardians on a regular basis.
  • Participate in activities that are engaging to them.

Sophomore Year

Sophomores should:

  • Take challenging classes that are of interest to them and do their best work in those classes.
  • Take the PSAT in October on campus.
  • Consider taking SAT II Subject Tests (in areas of strength and special interest) in May or June.
    • Students need to register for these tests by the end of March.
  • Read, read, and read.
  • Eat dinner with their parents/guardians on a regular basis.

Sophomores and their parents/guardians should:

  • Attend Tenth Grade College Night on campus.
  • Begin to explore college/university websites and the College Board’s website, in addition to browsing through college guides.
  • Begin visiting different types of colleges and universities in Southern California and elsewhere, if the family will already be traveling for other reasons.
    • Look at a variety of colleges and universities to help determine the type of school they want to attend (e.g., small, medium, large; rural, suburban, urban; in California or out of state; public or private).
  • Select summer activities that are of interest.
    • It is not necessary to attend expensive camps or travel abroad.

Junior Year

Juniors should:

  • Take challenging classes that are of interest to them and do their best work in those classes.
  • Take the PSAT in October on campus.
  • Register for and take SAT II Subject, SAT, and/or ACT tests in the spring of the junior year.
  • Read, read, and read.
  • Eat dinner with their parents/guardians on a regular basis.

Juniors will:

  • Meet with Waverly’s college counselor on a weekly basis during the spring semester Wellness class.
  • Complete and submit a questionnaire in the early spring and a self-evaluation in June to Waverly’s college counselor.

Juniors and their parents/guardians will:

  • Have individual meetings with Waverly’s college counselor during the spring semester.

Juniors and their parents/guardians should:

  • Continue to visit different types of colleges and universities in Southern California and elsewhere.
    • Many families find a specific “college trip” useful during the spring of or summer after the junior year.
  • Continue to explore college/university websites and the College Board’s website in addition to reading through college guides.
  • Attend Junior College Night on campus.
  • Select summer activities that are of interest.
    • It is not necessary to attend expensive camps or travel abroad.

Parents/Guardians should:

  • Complete and submit a questionnaire in early spring and a parent recommendation in June to Waverly’s college counselor.

In the summer between the junior and senior years, each student should write a solid draft of his/her college essay, narrow his/her college list, and begin work on the Common Application, if s/he will be applying to colleges using the Common Application.

Senior Year

Seniors confer with Waverly’s college counselor to narrow their list of colleges to a reasonable number in each of three categories: “reach” schools (colleges/universities that may be tougher for the student to gain admission to), “50/50” schools (colleges/universities that have often accepted students with similar profiles), and “safety” schools (colleges/universities that usually accept students with similar profiles). The list should only contain colleges/universities in which the student is genuinely interested.
Please note that “reach,” “50/50,” and “safety” are not pejorative terms and only have meaning relative to a specific student and college/university combination. A school may be a “50/50” for one student and a “safety” for another student.

Seniors may need to register for and take SAT I or SAT II tests in October.

With the help and support of parents/guardians, seniors should:

  • Pay close attention to and create a timeline for all colleges’ application deadlines, including deadlines for portfolio or audition submissions.
  • Pay close attention to any required additional essay questions and meet each school’s deadline for any extra requested information.
  • Ask one or two teachers of core academic subjects for letters of recommendation.
    • These requests should be accompanied by lists of deadlines and instructions for online submission.
    • Students should also be sure to follow up their requests with thank you notes to the teachers.
  • Turn in their SSR (Secondary School Report form) and their final college lists to Waverly by December 1.
  • Complete the PROFILE, FAFSA, and all other financial aid forms by each program’s deadline.
  • Winnow their options once college acceptances come in, making sure to visit campuses and classrooms if at all possible.
  • Remit deposits to their chosen schools after making their final decisions by May 1.
  • Continue to work hard on their high school studies.
    • All colleges/universities ask for spring semester grades and have been known to rescind their offers if senior grades fall.