Draft your college essays.
Take advantage of essay support from our Associate Director of College Counseling. She’s available all summer to help you return to school with a draft that’s ready to go!

Research and Finalize!
Summer is an excellent time to continue researching colleges and finalizing your college list.

The goal is in sight!

Seniors finalize their college lists, applications, and essays to be fully prepared for early deadlines. This stage is about polishing every detail—refining essays, completing activity lists, and ensuring applications reflect their unique strengths and aspirations. With the support of their counselors, students work to meet important timelines while also preparing thoughtfully for regular decision options.

By the time applications are submitted, they have a strong sense of confidence in both the process and the stories they are presenting to colleges.

Seniors continue meeting one-on-one with their counselors, ensuring that each step of the process feels intentional and well-supported. These conversations provide space for students to reflect on their goals, review application components, and discuss any questions that arise along the way.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to join these meetings as partners in the process, helping to finalize college lists and stay informed about key deadlines. Together, these sessions create a collaborative framework where students feel both guided and empowered as they move toward their next chapter.

Senior Seminar builds on the foundation of junior year, guiding students through the active phase of the college application process. With focused workshops, collaborative exercises, and ongoing support, seniors transform their preparation into polished, ready-to-submit applications while continuing to reflect on the story they want to tell.

Topics include:

• Finalizing the college list and balancing reach, match, and likely schools
• Refining and completing the Common App and supplemental essays
• Requesting teacher recommendations and managing deadlines
• Practicing interview skills and preparing for alumni or admissions interviews
• Understanding early decision, early action, and regular decision strategies
• Navigating financial aid and scholarship applications
• Preparing for college representative visits and making the most of them
• Staying organized and confident through the application season

College reps visit BWL...Lots of them!

Each fall, BWL welcomes a wide range of college representatives to campus, giving seniors the chance to engage directly with the people who will be reading their applications. These visits provide a unique opportunity to ask thoughtful questions, learn more about campus life, and make a personal impression on admissions officers.

Meeting representatives in the familiar setting of BWL makes the college search feel more approachable, and often sparks new ideas about schools to add—or move up—on a student’s list.

A Sampling of colleges that regularly visit BWL includes:
American University
American University of Paris
Bard College
Binghamton University
Boston College
Brandeis University
Bucknell University
Colgate University
Denison University
Elon University
George Washington University
Haverford College
Indiana University
Northeastern University
NYU
Penn State University
Southern Methodist University
Syracuse University
Tulane University
University of Chicago
University of Colorado
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. Louis

Plan with confidence!

As the rules around financial aid eligibility continue to shift significantly, our goal is to provide families with the most current and helpful information to plan for their child's future.

During senior year, families continue to have access to BWL's partnership with College Money Method, which enhances our support for families navigating the financial aid process. 

In addition to live workshops, families have access to the BWL Resource Center, where recordings of each workshop are also available the day after the event. Families also find invaluable tools—calculators, worksheets, guides, and additional resources—to supplement the workshops.