The following was written with Diego Lopez (Head of College Counseling) for the Lincoln School Costa Rica 2024 Annual Report…
Lincoln School’s College Counseling Department
Lincoln School offers students and families access to the largest, most knowledgeable and skilled team of college counselors in the country. Through our program, they receive accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information regarding higher education opportunities both nationally and internationally. Our student-first college application process is unique to the personal, professional, financial, and academic needs, interests, and aspirations of each student.
The Process
Unlike other schools and independent counselors who typically begin working with students in their Junior year, Lincoln students and families are engaged in the college counseling process from the beginning of their high school experience. Students and parents are introduced to the team, the college selection and application journey, and the steps they can take immediately to set themselves up for success in the first weeks of 9th grade, and students are welcomed to schedule follow-up chats with a counselor about their career aspirations throughout the year.
In 10th grade, students participate in a semester-long Approaches to Learning class where they take a deep dive into personality, interests, and career choice. This class, co-taught by members of the college counseling office and other members of the high school administration, sets the table for their course selection decisions that will ultimately impact which universities they apply to later. In addition, they learn about college application requirements and processes around the world. Finally, the college counseling departments facilitates student participation in the PSAT. This exam, though not needed for university admissions, provides, students, their families, and teachers with an additional data-from which to plan their academic growth over the following 12 to 18 months.
In 11th grade, students’ intensive college research process begins with a family meeting in which a customized strategy is designed by the counselor along with the student and their parents. There is a comprehensive focus on “best fit” that takes into account students’ academic achievements, financial needs, and personal preferences. Additionally, students and their parents learn how to navigate university platforms. Students are free to schedule as many of these appointments as is necessary with their counselors. Finally, students focused in US admissions begin taking SATs in their second semester.
In 12th grade, the college application process begins. Counselors accompany and support students through each step of their applications. Emphasis is put on individual meetings, essay support, calling institutions, understanding financial aid and scholarship options, and comparing study programs to make final decisions. Our college counselors are on-call throughout students’ 12th grade year to continue this support until students make their ultimate decision on which university to attend.
University Visits to Lincoln School
Lincoln School hosts four distinct university fairs each year. The Lincoln School University Fair alone includes over 70 universities from around the world, while our annual Ivy Night includes select Ivy-League university representatives to talk with students and parents about their individual schools and highly selective admissions requirements. Additionally, most universities visiting Costa Rica individually make a stop at Lincoln School. In all, over 100 universities visit the Lincoln campus each year to meet with our students, giving them the most exposure to university representatives of any students in the country. Our counselors develop strong professional relationships with delegates to ensure our institution is prioritized in their recruitment travel.
Best Fit Approach and Highly Selective Admissions
As stated, the focal point of the Lincoln School College Counseling Department is finding the “best fit” for each student. This involves choosing options that are a fit academically, financially, and personally. Students are supported to evaluate each option carefully under this paradigm. As a part of our Best Fit model, Lincoln students are highly encouraged to strive towards admissions in highly selective universities. Acceptances for Class of 2024 include prestigious universities such as Stanford University, Yale University, Cambridge University, Brown University, Rice University, Bocconi University, University of Toronto, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell University, and Georgia Institute of Technology.
International Destinations
Students at Lincoln School matriculate at universities all over the world. Popular countries include USA, Spain, UK, Italy, Canada, Argentina, Poland, Mexico, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Australia, and France. In 2024 alone, over 60 of our graduates decided to attend university elsewhere, including 45 who are currently studying in the US.
Student Satisfaction
Our students consistently describe the services offered by the College Counseling team as “thorough”, “comprehensive”, “student-centered”, “welcoming”, and “caring”. They also consistently report 100% satisfaction with the options they had to choose from, as well as with their final academic destination.
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