Welcome to the Parent Highlights & Insight Corner!

In continuation with our focus on social emotional learning, we want to recognize the importance of your student’s character traits and how it relates to college admissions. In recent years, college admissions offices have relayed the importance of character assessment within college admissions. (More information about the Making Caring Common Project from Harvard University can be found here.)

With this in mind, on three occasions during your student’s high school career, the Counseling Department will reach out to parents/guardians to gather information that will help your student’s counselor learn what drives your student. These short surveys will occur at the end of sophomore year, the end of junior year, and the beginning of senior year. Each survey will ask a few questions that will allow you to share anecdotes that will help your student’s counselor to better understand your student and their individual strengths and motivations.

Examples of character traits include:

• Compassion
• Curiosity
• Gratitude
• Grit
• Growth Mindset
• Initiative
• Integrity
• Optimism in the face of adversity or challenge
• Perspective-Taking
• Purpose
• Resilience  
• Respect
• Self Awareness
• Selflessness
• Self Management
• Thoughtful Decision Making

During the senior year, counselors use the information provided from these parent responses, anecdotes from teachers/coaches, and individual meetings with students to compose a counselor recommendation letter that demonstrates your student’s unique motivations and strengths.

Class of 2026 Senior Parent Survey

Check back here throughout the year as we will continue to add and update information.

• College Counseling Handbook

College Forms -- Class of 2026 

• Primary Teacher Recommendation Request Form
• Teacher Recommendation Questionnaire

College Forms - Seniors

• Teacher Recommendation Request Form
• Secondary School Report/Counselor Recommendation Request Form
• Early Decision Contract (Submit ONLY if applying through a binding Early Decision application plan)
• Common App Education Section 'Cheat Sheet' (1/2 sheet format)
• College Representative Visit Pass (for 2:15 PM presentations)

Our Guidance & College Counseling newsletters are created specifically for students, encouraging them to take ownership of their high school journey and future pathway. While written with students in mind, copies are also shared here for families to stay informed and engaged in the process. 

Senior Newsletters

Junior/Sophomore Newslettes

The Guidance & College Counseling program at Saint Francis focuses on three core areas of work with students: academic, college/career, and personal/social. As school counselors we advocate, mediate, coordinate, consult, lead and collaborate with teachers, administrators, and parent/guardian(s) to help students be successful.

The resources below are primarily focused on academic planning and college resources. Parents seeking additional resources on mental health can visit our Mental Health Resources page.

Sophomore Presentations 

Sophomore Parent Coffee Talk Introduction with MAIA Learning Tutorial

Sophomore and Junior Testing Night: Navigating College Admissions Tests

Sophomore Parent Night: The Year Ahead - October 21

Junior Presentations

Holy Cross and Junior College Workshop Presentation 

Virtual Financial Aid Presentation - 11/6/25

Senior Presentations

Senior College Advisory #1 Presentation - MAIA Learning Set-Up

Senior Advisory #2 Presentation - Entering your Activities & Involvement into Various College Applications

Virtual Athletics Night Webinar: September 29 and Prospective Student Athletes Tip and Things to Consider